Dark Light
by Summer's Sunlight
Summary: Jezebel is tired of violence in her life, so she goes to Forks to practice her Craft in peace. She finds out quickly that she is not the center of her universe: her werewolf soulmate is, and she'll do anything to protect him. Seth/OC, rated M for violence
1. Prologue

**Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my third story! Now, it's going to be a lot longer than my other stories, and a lot more... dramatic. There will be a lot of cussing and bad language, sexual references and innuendo (no lemons! sorry), and A LOT of violence. The main character, Jezebel, will be killing people. I'll try to keep the descriptions light, but no promises. This story is rated M for a reason.**

**Remember ladies and gents, this is a FICTIONAL STORY. Not all religions that worship a goddess (paganism, wicca, etc.) are okay with murder. In fact, most of them hate murder and violence more than other religions. DO NOT take the Shadow Circle's version of paganism color your view on other religions like this. They are not all like this.**

**Also, I know Jezebel is a giant bitch right now. She's cruel, emotionless, a murderer, and a lot of other not-nice things. I do not condone any of her actions. No one should ever try to do anything Jez does. It's horrible and violent and just not good. Please don't do or attempt to do any of the things in this story. And Jezebel will soon see the errors of her ways and see that there is more to life than death.**

**Last but not least in this very long author's note, I do not own Twilight. I will mention bands and songs in this story, and I don't own them, either. I only own my original characters. This disclaimer applies to this chapter, and every other chapter that will be a part of this story. I've talked enough, so please, read on!**

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Jezebel's POV

I stood at the edge of a tall cliff, overlooking the stormy ocean. A deep forest surrounded me from behind, and the sky was a marvelously deep gray, tumbling above me, while the white-capped waves crashed against the cliff-face below me. I was on the Native American reservation known as La Push, home to the Quileute tribe.

Did the small Native American tribe that called this land their home understand what they had here? This was an Old Place.

There are special places and areas scattered throughout the world that hold the power of memories. They hold a power that strengthens the bond to the land, and gives strength to those who protect it and call it home. They are rare, and are slowly disappearing as the humans slowly erode away all traces of the natural places in the world. But this one was alive and well.

The Quileute tribe must have held onto the traditions and magic of their ancestors in order for this place to last so long. So many others have forgotten, and lost that special magical bond. Because of this bond, the Quileutes and their land hold a magic that is irresistible to my kind.

It was irresistible to other supernatural creatures as well.

I could feel the power humming in the earth beneath my feet, the wind on my face, the waves rolling in front of me. I could feel the ancient power pulsing in my veins, infusing me with an unshakeable strength. I felt _alive_.

With this kind of power, I could take down half a dozen vampires by myself. It was thrilling.

I was on a job for my Sisters in Port Angeles when I felt this place calling to me. A man was getting too secure in his… secret activities with the teenage girls of the small port town. When that happens, they send me in to take them out, and leave no trace of the monsters behind. I was a discreet gravedigger. I'd lost count of how many monsters and demons I had buried over the years.

But I was tired of the blood and the screaming and the killing. It was starting to take its toll on me. The nightmares were the worst. The Sisters said it was just the after affects of the kills, and the Goddess was pleased with me for doing this work for her.

I don't think I believe that anymore.

This was a good place. It could be a quiet place for me to rest and figure out what I really wanted in my eternal life.

I was a witch, one of the most powerful to ever be born. I was a fighter, a warrior. I defended and protected the women of the world, killing one monster at a time. I belonged to a Circle of witches, the Circle of Shadows. Three hags led it, the oldest and wisest of our kind.

However, recently they had been sending me on job after job, never letting me rest. I wasn't even able to celebrate the Summer Solstice this year. They were controlling me to the point of suffocation, and I needed space. Free air to breathe. This would be the perfect place to stop and rest.

I would go back to high school. It would be easier than finding a job in this tiny town. Besides, school was incredibly easy, and it would give me something to focus on.

I started wandering around the reservation, watching the people go about their business. I ended up on First Beach, where a few family-type groups had gathered. It was a cloudy, overcast day. I guess the weather doesn't bother them much around here. There was a small, four person family near the rocks and tide pools. Another near the bottom of the cliffs.

Then there was a large group made up of all different age groups. I gasped. They were shapeshifters.

They were supposed to be near extinction. Only a small handful were left in the entire world. And yet they were in abundance here! So many…

They didn't notice me, so I took a seat on an abandoned piece of driftwood. It was large enough to be its own tree. A quick psychic probe confirmed it had been a large pine before falling into the ocean during a storm. It had been here ever since.

The psychic probe trick was difficult for some witches, but not for me. It was too easy for witches to lose control and accidentally break something when they were probing a person's mind. The humans would have amnesia, or other mental handicaps. Or they would be dead. I wonder why I've never had that problem.

I heard the squishing of footsteps in sand approach me, so I listened carefully without looking at whoever was coming. Short stride, about seventy pounds. A child. Most likely female.

I relaxed. She was probably just curious. But my guard remained up. It wasn't because I was afraid of the girl, but because it was simply the way I was trained.

"Hello! I've never seen you here before," a small voice said. Definitely a female child.

I looked over at her, and my suspicions were confirmed. She had the russet skin and pitch black hair of her people, with wide, curious eyes.

"I'm not from around here," I answered lightly.

"Why are you here?" The question wasn't rude. She was just curious.

"I wanted to hear the waves," I said cryptically. Better not to give away anything. She might be here with the shapeshifters.

"Oh. The waves are pretty today," she said happily.

I gave her a warm smile. She was such a sweet girl. Hopefully her mother was smart and kept the males away from her for a while. Long enough for her to realize she didn't need them, at least.

As a witch, I was raised with a hatred for men. They tried to control women, use us for their own purposes. It was sickening. And so many human women just went along with it! Witches were raised knowing males would only be trouble. Hell, in my Circle, falling in love with a male meant death for the male in question. If the witch let us kill him, she would be rehabilitated, and welcomed back into the Circle. If she resisted and tried to save the male, they both died.

I was usually in the hunting parties. After all, I was the best at what I do: fighting. Humans, witches, vampires, it didn't matter. I wasn't picky.

"Claire! Claire, how many times do I have to tell you not to run off like that!" a male voice called out. I rolled my eyes. It was one of the shapeshifters. His quick, heavy footsteps gave him away instantly.

"Sorry, Quil!" the little girl – also known as Claire – called back. He rushed up to us and scooped the ten-year-old girl onto his shoulders with ease. She laughed.

"I was just talking to her, Quil! You don't have to get all antsy," she chastised him, smacking him lightly over the head.

"I told you not to run off," he scolded her gently. Then he turned to me. "I'm sorry if she was bothering you."

"It's no trouble," I replied lightly. While I hate males, I grudgingly respected this one. He had given up his known life to protect his tribe from the filthy leeches. He didn't exactly have a choice, given he turned into a giant animal whenever he got pissed off, but details.

"Would you happen to know where I can get a bite to eat around here, though?" I asked nicely.

"Yeah, there's a café down the road. Cara's Place. The food there is amazing," he said, pointing to the south side of the road.

"Thanks. Bye, Claire," I said, and started walking down the road while Claire shouted, "Bye!" back. She probably hurt the shapeshifter's sensitive ears, but I didn't really care. I actually laughed a little. What can I say, I'm a little evil.

A few minutes later, I was sitting in a little booth at a tiny diner. A beautiful Native American woman in her early forties had just given me the best cup of coffee I had ever tasted, and taken my order. The way she bustled around and talked to everyone led me to guess she was the owner. She was kind to a frightening extent. I didn't know people could _be_ that kind.

The rest of the customers were all laughing and enjoying their Saturday, just having a good time with their neighbors. The servers and the cooks were chatting as well.

This was the perfect place. I was decided. I would call up my favorite contractor, and have him start on a new house for me in nearby Forks. Somewhere along the border between Forks and La Push, of course. I would also take a leave of absence from the Circle, and sign up for high school.

It would take a while. The hags never did anything quickly, and they wouldn't like me taking off like this. But it would be worth it to get away and just practice my Craft for a while.

Goddess, it would be worth it.

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**Review please!**


	2. New Witch

**Hello, everyone! Love Like Crazy is finished, so I decided to update this story as soon as possible. I apologize in advance, though, because I'm going to be moving in the next couple weeks, so updating might not be as frequent as I would like. As my dedicated readers know, I will NEVER abandon a story once it's started, so I will come back to this!**

**I know Jez seems conceited and bitchy right now, but she will improve! She just needs to figure a few things out.**

**Lastly, I do not own Twilight. I only own my characters and the plot. This disclaimer applies to the rest of this story. Now, finally, read on!**

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Jez's POV

These children were idiots.

I had actually been looking forward to my first day of school. I really had. But these people were so blind to everything around them. They actually _complained_ about the rain. Didn't they feel the ethereal magic of rain, the power held within each droplet? No, they only cared about homework, tests, and who was taking who to the fall dance.

These children were only concerned with getting out of this magical place. Hence, they were idiots.

I drove my 2012 Ford 302 Boss Mustang to school that morning, and all of the little boys started to drool. It was a limited edition model. Hell, it wasn't even supposed to be available to the public for another year or so. The dark blue pearlescent paint glittered, even without sunlight.

Everyone was staring at the new girl and her fancy muscle car, but I didn't care. I was used to being singled out by the humans. They always knew there was something different about me. They just couldn't figure out the specifics. Like how I wasn't human.

Their eyes followed me as I made my way to the front office. And I'll admit it: I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was used to being special, even among witches.

For some reason, I was different from other witches. I was a fighter, a warrior. Instead of growing or building things like other witches, I destroyed things. I obliterated evil things until there was no trace of what they once were.

My power was unsurpassed by any witch, but it came at a cost. I would never feel the joy other witches felt when they healed. A friend of mine in Ashland, a small town in southern Oregon, is an extremely powerful healer, and she told me once that there was no greater joy in her life than knowing that she saved another creature's life. I would only feel the sick satisfaction of killing.

The only things I could grow were plants; I was famous for my gardens. But my gardens were usually sanctuaries for me. Other people rarely even saw the front gates of those private places.

I was sad that the only thing I could create was too private to share, but I didn't really mind. I needed those gardens for meditations, scrying, and performing the rituals of my craft in solitude. It was late fall, so the growing season was over and I could focus on decorating my new house and getting through school.

I parked my lovely car quickly, then made my way to the front office. When I registered, the officials told me to come to the office first. And no, they couldn't just email everything to me. That would be easy and purposeful, and we can't have that at this school.

I had dressed carefully for this first day. I was wearing a pair of dark blue skinny jeans tucked into knee-high black-leather high-heel boots. I had a deep purple tank top on underneath a black leather motorcycle jacket. I didn't wear makeup. I didn't need it.

I had high cheekbones, perfect pale skin, and almond shaped eyes. It was to be expected. The more powerful a witch is, the more beautiful she is.

Since I was the most powerful witch alive, it stood to reason I would be fairly beautiful.

That probably sounds completely conceited, but I don't enjoy my looks. They were a tool for my ultimate duty to the Goddess.

I was a killer, an assassin for my Circle. I would find men that preyed on women, and I would end the terror they inflicted. My beauty lured them in. It made my job a lot easier.

Which brought me back to why I was in this high school in this tiny town. I was sick of my life being filled with nothing but the blood of monsters. So I was taking a break to think about what I truly wanted in my eternal life.

I was walking like a model walks down a runway at Fashion Week. My hair fluttered behind me like a banner, long and wavy. It was neither red nor brown, but a gorgeous color somewhere in between. Auburn, some call it.

A group of boys started calling to me. I gave them a slashing glare, not a pause in my long stride. They froze instantly. I smiled. My eyes have that effect on people. They were a shockingly bright green. When I get too angry, they glow. Kind of like those glowing green EXIT signs in the dark. Or radioactive waste in the movies. My eyes were my favorite part of myself. They marked me for what I was. Inhuman. Ethereal. _Special_.

The middle-aged woman behind the front desk in the main office looked bored stiff. She straightened up and smiled widely when she saw me.

"Hello, how can I help you, dear?" she greeted me eagerly.

"My name is Jezebel Blackwood," I replied with a friendly smile. "I need to pick up my schedule."

"Alright," she said and started rifling through a stack of papers. She handed me two pieces of paper. "This is your schedule, and this is the paper you need to have each of your teachers sign. Bring it back here at the end of the day. Good luck, dear!"

"Thank you for your help," I said politely before I walked out. It didn't take me long to find my first class. Calculus. That wouldn't be difficult. I strode into the classroom.

I gave the male teacher my sign-in form with a forced smile. He made my skin crawl just being around him, but he would just assume I was nervous. He gave me my book, signed my form, and said, "Take the seat next to the tall boy in the back," before he left the room.

The boy in question gave my body a cursory glance before giving me a big smile and patting the seat next to him. He had a predatory gleam in his eye that made me grind my teeth (figuratively, of course).

I didn't bother hiding my disgust as I took my seat. He oh-so-subtly scooted his chair closer to mine and gave me what he probably thought was a charming smile.

"I'm Kurt Jones," he introduced himself proudly. "You must be the new girl, Jezebel."

"Now what would make you think that?" I asked sarcastically. He didn't notice.

"So, why did you move to Forks?" he asked nosily. He didn't care about the answer, he just wanted to talk to me.

"Needed a change of scenery," I answered cryptically.

"In Forks? You'll get bored quickly. Where you from?" he asked, not bothering to give me a chance to respond to his first comment. I knew his kind too well.

Goddess, it would be so easy to kill him right now. Just distract the people in the classroom with a small fire, then phase my hand through the moron's chest and nick a major artery. He would bleed out in less than a minute, and everyone would blame it on a heart attack.

I mentally shook myself. I needed to keep a low profile. Plus, I wanted to get _away_ from murder.

"California," I replied vaguely, openly glaring at him now.

"Why would you pick this shit hole over sunny California?" he gasped, outraged.

I blinked. "I love the rain. And I'm rather fond of this place. Sugar, just because you don't like something doesn't mean everyone else shares your opinion."

"Bitch," he spat out, and turned away from me.

"Damn right," I happily replied. Took the idiot long enough.

"Tch. Hey Nessie! Why don't you sit next to me today, baby?" the monster called to some poor girl who had just entered the classroom. The girl froze in fear.

I froze in shock. The bronze-haired girl was a halfling. What was a half-vampire half-human doing here?

"Yeah, Nessie," some other girl taunted. "Why don't you stop being a frigid bitch and associate with us poor people?"

I rolled my eyes. Jealousy. How typical of this unremarkable human girl.

Nessie took a seat at the front of the class, trying to ignore the catcalls and bitchy remarks. Poor girl.

"Nessie, baby! Just go out with me already! You know you want me!" the monster Kurt Jones called to her.

Nessie turned around and screamed, "Leave me alone, you creepy pig!"

That's when I saw it. The spark in her pretty chocolate brown eyes. Nessie the halfling was also Nessie the witch.

I kicked Kurt Jones in the shin – hard. Nessie may be half vampire, but she was a Sister now. It was part of who I was to protect her.

"Ow! What the fuck?" he cried out in agony. I must have kicked him harder than I thought. Eh, he deserved it.

"Oops, my foot slipped. So sorry," I said lightly, not sounding sorry at all. Like I said before, the little bastard deserved it.

"Hello, class. Take out…" Mr. Varner chose that moment to walk back into the classroom and start the lecture.

The rest of my classes weren't nearly as interesting. I had Nessie and the jackass in a few more classes. Lunch came quickly.

The food was tolerable enough. I looked for an empty table so I wouldn't have to deal with anyone. Instead, I saw the bitch from earlier bothering Nessie. Mentally torturing her was a better way to describe it. The bitch was even flanked by two crony bitches.

Goddess, that girl needs to learn to stand up for herself. Might as well be now.

I strode over to the corner table Nessie had chosen.

What was that saying? 'Catch a fish for a hungry man, you feed him for one night. Teach a hungry man to catch a fish, and he'll never be hungry again'? Something like that. Time to show Nessie how to catch a fish. Or, rather, show her how to get rid of stupid human bitches.

The bitches didn't notice me as I approached.

"Nessie, we all know how rich your family is. Why don't they just _buy_ you some friends?" the head bitch asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"You're making fun of the girl because she's rich?" I asked in a scathing voice. The four girls turned to look at me. The bitches glared. I continued.

"Either this is one backwards town and you're nothing but poor white trash, or you're just stupid," I said matter-of-factly.

"Probably a little bit of both," Nessie added. Good girl. She's a fast learner. I sent her a quick smile. She smiled back.

The bitches looked shocked and outraged. Apparently, they aren't used to people challenging the status quo around here. They better get used to it, or I'm going to make this a rough year for them.

"Now, I'm from California, and we're pretty straightforward people round there," I told the bitches with a cold smile and a venomous voice, "so I'm not going to sugarcoat this. You hurt Nessie, and a lot of other people, because you feel threatened and it makes you feel better about yourself. It's pathetic, sugar. I don't tolerate pathetic or stupid people."

"Bitch, back off," the head bitch hissed at me. "This is my senior year, and I won't let some new girl waltz in here and pretend she's better than me."

"Sugar, I _am_ better than you. So is Nessie. Just accept it, and your life will be much easier," I laughed.

"Look, this is my school, so get lost!" the head bitch shrieked at me. She stepped up until she was right in my face, nose to nose. Well, nose to chin. I was much taller than her, especially with these heels on. Regardless, she was trying to intimidate me and it wasn't working. I've fought vampires before. Why would I be afraid of a stupid little human girl who was feeling pissy about someone taking her favorite toy?

I was done with these idiots. I dropped the civilized mask I usually live behind. My eyes glowed bright acid green and I snarled lightly.

The bitches' eyes widened.

"I tried to be nice, but you had to make things difficult," I said, my voice low with rage. The head bitch took a step back.

"I don't tolerate stupid people," I growled in a low, terrifying voice. "If you give me a reason to look your way again, you will regret it. And if you try to hurt Nessie or myself in any way, _I will end you_. Now leave."

The three girls scampered off. They were true idiots, and typical mean girls. Bitches at first, but threaten one of them, and they collapse.

"Mind if I sit here?" I asked Nessie politely, civilized mask firmly back in place. She nodded slowly.

I took the seat across from her. Terrifying people always makes me hungry. I dug into my salad.

"You aren't human, are you?" Nessie asked after ten minutes of silent eating.

I gave her a wicked smile. "I'm as human as you are."

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**Not as long as I would like, but there you are! I tried to put the background information in with the action so you wouldn't get too bored. Tell me if I failed. Another song I will be mentioning in coming chapters is "Somebody Out There" by Nickleback, if you're interested.**

**Please review! I update so much quicker when you do!**


	3. Shit is About to Hit the Fan

**I think this is the longest I haven't updated since I started writing fanfiction. I'm really sorry, guys, but moving is a bitch, especially when you're dealing with college midterms at the same time. This isn't the best chapter I've written, but the next chapter will be amazing. Read on and enjoy!**

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Jez's POV

"I'm a _what?_" Nessie gasped. Her eyes were wide, just staring at me. I guess I couldn't really blame her. From her perspective, this was completely unheard of. She knew about vampires, but many vampires nowadays had no idea that witches even existed. You can blame that on the Volturi.

Nessie and I were sitting at our table in the cafeteria, surrounded by the normal human mortals of this insignificant school. They were all so loud, they could never hear what Nessie and I were talking about. Which was a good thing, considering the subject.

"Yes, Nessie, you're a witch. A pretty strong one, too," I said calmly, like I was talking about the weather. Nessie calmed down a bit, a thoughtful look on her face.

"I can't believe this. Witches are real? And I'm one? But I'm already half-vampire and half-human! I don't want to be even more weird!" she exclaimed.

"You aren't that weird. There are hundreds of witches in the world," I replied simply.

"How do I know you aren't lying?" Nessie asked reluctantly.

"Like this," I said, and summoned witchfire into my hand. I used my body to shield the sight of the humans, but let Nessie see it clearly. The witchfire was a beautiful sapphire blue, then it faded into a lovely amethyst. Next it turned crimson red. Nessie's eyes went wide.

"Okay, I believe you," she said, completely shocked, staring at the wonder in my palm. She was quiet for a moment. I let her have the time to absorb what I had said. It was quite a bit to take in so quickly.

"You're a strong witch, too, aren't you?" Nessie asked finally.

"Sugar, I'm the strongest," I laughed. Nessie just nodded.

"You helped me with those girls because I was a… fellow witch, correct?" she asked, just as calmly as before.

"I protect my Sisters, whether they know about me or not," I said seriously. Nessie nodded solemnly again. I smiled. She was a smart girl. She would learn the ways of the Goddess quickly. If she wanted to, that is.

"Would you like me to train you in the ways of the Goddess?" I asked simply.

Nessie let her hand brush against my arm and let me see her thoughts. So she already knew how to share her thoughts with other people. Did she know how to take the thoughts of others yet?

Nessie had imagined human sacrifice, rituals that had a Satanic feel to them, living a life in evil and darkness. Goddess damn it, her parents were Christian. Stupid, narrow-minded…

I replaced her fears with my memories. She gasped as my recollections flooded her mind. I remembered the feel of a bonfire burning in front of me during the Summer Solstice, the delicious heat against my skin. I remembered the drums thrumming around me, beating in time with my heart beat, beating in perfect harmony with the natural world around me. I let the memories take us both back to that perfect summer day.

I let her feel the cool grass beneath my feet as I danced around the bonfire, dancing for the glory of my Goddess. It was a ritual that worshipped nature and our place with it.

I was a witch, not a Satanist. And the same went for my new Sister.

Nessie smiled widely, dazed. "Is that really what it's like?"

"Yes," I answered happily. "It's one of the best feelings in the world, when you're one with nature like that. You dance for the Goddess, you dance for the earth, and you dance for your Sisters. You dance for balance in the universe."

"What would I have to learn?" she asked dreamily.

"I would teach you the laws of our kind. I would teach you about the rituals, the holidays, the basics of Craft, and then we'll figure out what you're good at to determine what kind of witch you'll be," I replied.

"You're a fighter of some sort, aren't you?" Nessie asked reluctantly.

"Yes," I answered sadly. "But I want to _make_ something instead of destroying everything."

"You want to be a better person," Nessie said. "You should be proud that you had the strength to walk away from that life."

I blinked. Was I _proud_ that I walked away? I wasn't sure.

"So," I began, "tell me about yourself."

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Nessie spent the rest of the school day telling me all about her family and friends. I wanted to laugh when she talked about her Jacob. It was a little possessive. I loved it. Even without knowing she was a witch, she didn't take shit from a male. Good.

I was a little surprised when she told me her mother was still alive as a vampire. Every halfling I had heard of had killed the mother before or during birth. I guess miracles happen.

"I love my family, but they control everything I do," Nessie told me as we left our last class, heading for the parking lot. "I've never done anything on my own. There's always been someone there to help me or do it for me outright. I want something that is _mine_, you know? Something they can't do for me, something I can do for myself."

"You're a witch now, sugar," I laughed. "Not only can you do whatever the hell you want, your family couldn't help you with Craft if they tried. Vampires are dead things. They can't follow the rhythms of the earth's seasons like we can. When a witch is bitten and turned into a vampire, she takes the strongest gift she once had with her into that life… and she leaves everything else behind."

"Both of my parents are gifted vampires," Nessie gasped. "Could they have been witches?"

I frowned. "Your mom, maybe. But males cannot be fully gifted witches. Some males receive half-gifts, where they can do a few simple parlor tricks, but nothing like us. Your father might have had a half gift when he was human, if he's a gifted vampire now."

"He is. My dad can read minds, and my mom is a mind shield," Nessie explained.

"Owned! So the only mind your dad can't read is your mother's?" I laughed. "Sucks for him. Where did you park?"

We walked onto the crowded parking lot. Nessie smiled sheepishly.

"I don't drive. My parents drive me everywhere. I told you, they're beyond over-protective," she explained sadly.

I glanced around the parking lot, my senses open to vampires. There was one near the curb, about three hundred feet away, sitting in a silver Volvo. Why are they only driving a Volvo? How… low-key.

"Is your mom driving that silver Volvo over there?" I asked, nodding my head towards the inconspicuous vehicle.

"Oh, yeah! That's her," she said, waving at the car. The gorgeous brunette driving waved back, smiling widely. Nessie turned back to me. "Where are you parked?"

I smiled. "See that giant group of boys huddled around that pretty Boss 302?"

Nessie glanced at the horde of idiotic boys admiring my car and sighed. "I thought the Boss wasn't coming out until 2012."

"To the public," I laughed. "I'm just special that way. And using your powers to help people gives you a lot of public connections."

"You're a car fanatic, aren't you?" Nessie said exasperatedly.

"Hell yeah!" I smiled widely. "Who doesn't like a shiny car that goes two hundred miles per hour?"

"You'll get along great with my dad and Jake," she muttered.

"No I won't," I said simply. I placed my hand on her shoulder and said telepathically, _I hate stupid, arrogant males. I'll probably just kill them._

Nessie rolled her eyes. "Let's try to avoid that, okay?"

"Fine. See you tomorrow," I laughed. Nessie walked over to the Volvo and got in. Her mother wasted no time in asking a barrage of questions about me. Nessie must have had a really hard time here. That was going to change.

I headed for my car. I tried to push my way through the mob around my pretty car, but to no avail. I started roughly shoving them out of the way.

"That's it! All of you morons, get the hell away from my car!" I hollered furiously. "If there's one scratch on the paint, I'm taking it out on all of your scrawny asses!"

The crowd cleared pretty quickly after that, and I drove my shiny new car back to my new house.

I lived halfway between Forks and the La Push reservation. According to the state, it was unincorporated land. According to the shapeshifter wolf pack, it was Quileute land. I didn't mind sharing the land, as long as the wolves let me be.

I had built a two story Victorian home, complete with a three-story turret, on ten acres of land. I had a large field for a backyard, about two acres, and the rest was dense forest. The left-hand side of my yard was dedicated to my new garden. The house was large, about three thousand square feet if you included the small attic and basement. The house was painted off-white with forest green trim. The front door was forest green, too.

I hopped up the steps and looked at the plants I kept on the front porch. They were pretty green things, growing vigorously in the late autumn air.

"Hello, darlings," I greeted them. Plants grew better when you talked to them. They were living things, and they thrived on contact with other living things. Singing was the best way to get them to grow.

I hummed a little Celtic tune while I unlocked my front door and stepped inside. My house was finely decorated with items from all over the world. I had cherrywood cabinets from Tibet, woven rugs from India, a china set from France, and all sorts of other goodies I had collected during my travels around the world.

I dropped my bag on the side table next to the front door, and went out to the side entrance in the kitchen. I opened the door to my private sanctuary.

I walked into a wonderland. The green plants towered above me, showering me in green leaves and flowers in too many colors to name. There were wooden fences and archways for the ivy-like plants to climb and wrap around. I had a small stone pool with some white and pink lilies floating in the clear, clean water in one corner.

This was my best garden yet. Everything grew so quickly. It was probably due to the magic of the Old Place. It was hard to believe I had accomplished all this in two months. As soon as the contractors had taken off, I had set to work, and this amazing place was my reward. It was something to build, create. It was something I could be proud of.

It was a great place to practice my Craft. I could meditate here, or scry for the future. This place was connected to nature like no other place could be.

I took a seat at the base of the weeping willow tree that sat next to the pond. I let the long leaves hide me from the rest of the world, and cleared my mind to meditate. Tomorrow would come soon enough.

* * *

Seth's POV

I was just hanging at the Cullen's place with Nessie and Jake. They were sitting with me, watching TV.

Okay, they were staring at each other with that loving look and I was watching TV, trying to ignore them. Watching them stare like that got nauseating after a while.

Edward walked in and glared at the couple. As soon as Nessie was fully grown (about a month ago), Nessie had started to notice Jake as more than a friend. Jake was clueless, and Edward was _not_ happy. I couldn't blame him, I guess. It must be hard to watch your little girl grow up so fast.

Edward gave me a small, grateful smile and sat down next to me.

Nessie jumped up and said, "Jake, I need a ride to school. Will you take me?"

"Of course," Jake replied automatically, and got up to follow her out the door.

"Seth, do you know why Nessie has been avoiding me?" Edward asked suddenly.

I jumped, surprised. I wasn't expecting that. Why would Nessie be avoiding Edward?

Edward looked at me. Oh, right. Mind-reading.

"She met a new friend at school a week ago," Edward explained sadly. "A girl named Jezebel Blackwood. It seems like whenever Nessie even begins to have thoughts about the girl, she immediately thinks of something else. I'm wondering what she's hiding from me. What could she possibly have to hide?"

"Her new friend is a serial killer?" I suggested with a shrug.

Edward gave me that look again. Right, I'll stop now.

"Bella has met Jezebel when she went to pick Nessie up at school, and can't figure out what they're hiding. When I tried to pick Nessie up from school, Jezebel had already gone home, and Nessie was thinking about something completely different. I'm worried," Edward said.

"Of course you're worried. You're a dad, it's your job," I said simply.

"Thank you, Seth," Edward smiled. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure."

"Would you and Jacob go pick Nessie up today? Perhaps the two of you can discover something Bella couldn't," Edward asked.

"Of course, dude. Whatever you need. I just don't know how much Jake and I can find out for you that Bella hasn't," I said.

"Anything will help at this point," Edward said, looking more relaxed than before. "I appreciate this, Seth."

"No problem. I doubt we'll find much out, though. I mean, she's just a human girl, right?"

* * *

**Oh, is Seth in for a big surprise! Next chapter, Jez meets Seth! What do you think is going to happen? Please, review! I'll update faster!**


	4. Soul Mates

**I'm not going to apologize for this being so late. I warned you it would take a while. I'm still settling into my new place, and my routine is still pretty wild. Work is pretty freaking demanding too. Don't get me started on school. Three tests in one day! AND it's the day after Halloween! I have to study on Halloween! Depressing...**

**Now that my rant is done, I would like to thank my Art teacher for cancelling class so much this month. He is the reason this chapter is up before November. On that happy note, please enjoy the chapter!**

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Seth's POV

Jake and I stood in the Forks High parking lot, waiting for Nessie. And her mysterious new friend. The final bell had just echoed through the halls, so we wouldn't be waiting much longer. Teenaged kids were already swarming to the parking lot, desperate to get away from the confines of public education. Was school really that bad? I don't remember it being that bad. Then again, I went to the tiny tribal school on the rez. I didn't really have experience with normal high school.

"Sooo… what does Edward think we're going to find out again?" I asked for what was probably the millionth time. I just wasn't sure what he thought we could find out that immortal vampires couldn't. Bella wasn't exactly the gullible type.

"I don't know. Just help me look for Nessie," Jake replied, eagerly scanning the crowded parking lot for his imprint. Of course, he only agreed to do this so he could spend more time with Nessie. Typical imprinted werewolf. I mean, shapeshifter. That word was still weird.

Though I was a little upset that Jake couldn't focus, I was envious. I wanted an imprint. I wanted my world to revolve around that one girl who would mean more to me than life itself. I wasn't picky. I don't care what she looks like. As soon as I imprint on her, she'll be the most beautiful girl in the world.

I scanned the crowd with Jake, silently hoping today would be the day. I swear, I can feel the pull of the imprint already. It was like some unseen force was drawing me towards the school. Which is a little creepy, considering I'm twenty-two years old.

"There she is!" Jake interrupted my thoughts happily. I heard Nessie's squeal of delight two seconds later. She ran to Jake and tackled/hugged him.

Some girls who were wearing way too little clothing for the weather glared at the happy pair.

"Wow, who knew Nessie was such a slut?" one of the girls hissed scathingly.

"Yeah, and for older guys, too! Isn't Jacob Black, like, twenty-eight? That's, like, eleven years! That is so gross!" another of the girls replied in an equally cruel voice.

I flinched. That was uncalled for! Were high school girls really that bitchy? Maybe I didn't want my imprint if she was from here…

"Oh, shut up, you insignificant idiots. Nessie is twice the woman you are. Take your jealousy and shove it up your plastic asses," a voice like an angel's said scathingly. The other girls flinched and scurried away.

I turned to thank the girl for sticking up for Nessie (Edward had said Nessie was having a hard time with bullies)… and I imprinted.

She looked like a war goddess in modern times. Her long hair was neither red nor brown, but somewhere in between, fluttering behind her as she marched towards us. She was tall, over six feet with those high-heeled boots. She wore dark jeans and a military-style green jacket. She had a stunningly beautiful face and figure, and her eyes… her eyes were a brilliant, stunningly bright green.

When that green stare turned to me, I was gone. I saw a hundred other faces, different races and nationalities, all with those same gorgeous green eyes. She was perfect. My true soul mate.

Her green eyes went wide, and for a second, I thought I saw the same love and adoration in her eyes. But then they narrowed into a glare, and her full pink lips became a hard line full of contempt.

The rest of the world didn't matter to me anymore. I couldn't think of anything but erasing the anger and making her happy.

I was only slightly aware of Jake and Nessie watching my every move. It barely registered that I was standing in a high school parking lot. All that mattered in the world was standing in front of me.

"Hi, I-I'm Seth. Seth Clearwater," I introduced myself in a shaky voice. I held out a hand for her to shake, desperate for at least that small, brief contact.

She glanced at my hand dismissively, looked me in the eye, and sneered, "Go die in a fire."

My heart shattered. My whole world shattered with that cold emerald glare. And nothing mattered anymore.

Jez's POV

* * *

I watched Jake drag the shell of a man into the woods before anyone could notice him falling apart. Nessie whispered a quick goodbye and ran after them, not bothering to ask me why I had just broken my true love's heart. She already knew why. It was one of the first things I had explained to her during her training.

Seth was going to die.

My Circle would never allow me to consort with a male – under any circumstances. I couldn't tell them he was my soul mate. They would never believe me, and they would kill him all the faster for it. Why would they automatically think I was under his control? I was still an independent witch. I was still the master of my own destiny. Seth was simply there for me to love him. Why couldn't the Circle understand that the Goddess had made Seth and I for each other? I couldn't let the Shadow Circle hurt my Seth.

And just like that, all loyalty to my Circle vanished, like it was never there. The Goddess had tied me to this male with an unbreakable bond. Seth's safety and happiness were the only things that mattered now. I would keep him safe.

There was a sweetness, a kindness in Seth's deep brown eyes I had never seen before, in man or woman. But Seth was _male_. He would try to deceive and control me. All men tried to control the women in their lives. Just look at Nessie. Both her father and her soul mate controlled every aspect of her life!

But Seth… was Seth even capable of deception?

I sighed as I trudged to my car. It didn't matter what Seth was like, or how he would treat me. We could never be together.

I put extra protection spells around my car as I climbed into the driver's seat. I didn't trust myself to drive safely right now, especially with the late autumn wind blowing so fiercely.

No one noticed the invisible spells as I sped away. No one would. The majority of all spells are cast with the mind. You just have to concentrate on what you want, trigger the right kind of magic and the right amount, and it will happen instantaneously. Craft wasn't as difficult as movies and books make it out to be. We only chant and sing and dance at rituals.

I arrived home in record time with no memory of how I got there. I ran straight through the tall garden gate. I needed the peace and solitude of my special place right now.

I collapsed on a soft patch of grass next to the scrying pond, and began to cry for the love I could never have.

Jake's POV (Oooh, I'm changing it up now, aren't I?)

Being the Alpha of my pack had taught me some important lessons. One of them was the fact that there were some things I could change if I just tried hard enough… and other things where I couldn't do a damn thing. This was one of those times where I was powerless.

Nessie and I had dragged Seth back to the Cullens. He refused to walk. He refused to speak. He was a shell of his former self, like an emotionless zombie. I wanted to go find that Jez girl and slap her silly, until she realized what she had done.

Seth sat on a couch in the Cullens' living room next to Edward, staring blankly at the floor. I had never seen Seth look so lost and hopeless. It was painful to see our happy-go-lucky Seth so depressed.

"She hates me," Seth whispered. "My imprint, my soul mate _hates_ me."

"I'm sure she doesn't hate you, Seth. No one can hate you. You're too nice," I tried to reassure him, but I already know I failed. Nothing could console him until he knew from Jez herself that he was accepted. Nessie nodded in agreement, though, and hugged Seth. She placed her hand on his face, showing him some memory in another useless effort to cheer him up.

Damn the imprint rules! If it weren't for that _Never hurt another wolf's imprint_ rule, I would already be at that Jez girl's house, slapping her senseless until she decided to see reason!

Edward glared at me. I guess he didn't think it was hopeless. Or he was against violence toward women in general. He just doesn't know what imprinting is like, how that imprint is your world, and nothing, and I mean _nothing_, else matters. I couldn't imagine what my life would be like if Nessie hated me. I shuddered at the thought.

"I understand that, Jacob. I simply believe Seth will be able to win her over," Edward replied to my thoughts. It is so annoying when he does that. Stay out of my mind, leech!

Edward grinned. Stupid, cocky, mind-reading vampire…

Edward's head snapped to look at Nessie, still hugging Seth. I couldn't read the vamp's expression, but it couldn't be good.

"What was that, Nessie?" Edward asked her in a strained, but still commanding voice.

"Jez is… well, she's a feminist. She absolutely hates all men. I think… I think the imprint made a mistake this time. I don't think Jez is right for Seth," Nessie said sadly.

"No!" Seth shouted, rising to his feet. "No, the imprint can't be wrong! I've waited forever for her! She's perfect, in every way! I'll become whatever she needs me to become. That's what all of the wolves do. I'll do whatever it takes to make her happy."

"Seth, the two of you are complete opposites," Nessie argued, standing up to face him. "You would be at each other's throats every day! She's a harsh, unforgiving person. You're kind and happy and giving. You would never be a happy couple."

"That's not true!" Seth wailed, falling back to the couch. "That can't be true… She's perfect. We're perfect for each other. We have to be. We are."

"Seth, where did those faces come from?" Edward interrupted. Faces? What faces?

"They're Jez," Seth replied in a tortured voice. "Different names, different places, different times, but they're all my Jezebel."

"Are you talking about reincarnation?" Nessie asked. She looked as baffled as I felt. What the hell is reincarnation?

"Reincarnation is when a person dies, but their soul is reborn into another body," Edward explained, mostly for my benefit. I silently thanked him. "Have any of the other wolves experienced this… vision of other faces before?"

"Not that I know of," I answered.

"Who cares? Jez hates me. She wants me dead," Seth moaned, curling into the fetal position on the couch.

"Don't give up," I said encouragingly. "She's your imprint, your soul mate. Don't give up on her just yet. Make her see who you really are. She'll see how great you are, and you'll both be happy again."

"It's not that simple. Things are never that simple," Nessie said sadly.

I decided not to ask what she meant.

Jez's POV

* * *

I slowly rose from my grieving bed when the last bits of light disappeared from the sky.

It wasn't fair. Why did the Goddess do this to me? Hadn't I served her well? Everything I did was for her and her glory. Had I upset her somehow? What had I done to deserve this?

I wanted to start crying again from frustration. I didn't need a damn soul mate! I just wanted to rest, practice my Craft and serve my Goddess. I didn't need a goddamned male in my life!

I was heading towards the side door to my house when I saw a glowing light from the scrying pond. I walked back to it and kneeled to see what it had to show me. I peered into the murky water, and it slowly became a picture, almost like a movie being played over the water's surface. Was the Goddess showing me the answer to my questions?

I gasped. My Goddess had another problem to show me. A tall, lithe figure was running through the forest, running here. It wore a long robe, a red so dark it was almost black.

How did they know already? Had they been keeping that close of a tab on me? It was an awful, almost unbearable pain, knowing it was too late to do anything about it.

The witches of the Shadow Circle were coming to Forks. They were coming to kill Seth.

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**Oooh, cliffhanger! I'm sorry about that, but it was a good place to end it. This was a very difficult chapter to write. This was the first scene I came up with in this story, and it kind of sets everything up for the rest of the story. As such, I desperately need feedback! We meet one of the many villains in the next chapter, too, so please review!**


	5. Lying Is Never a Good Thing

**Yay! I'm on time for once! I know, I know, it's a miracle. For this chapter, you can thank my Science teacher for taking a three-week trip in the middle of the school semester and my procrastination in studying for two midterms tomorrow. Please, give me lots of reviews so I know it was worth it! Plus, I'm not sure how this story is developing, and I need feedback. Without further ado, read on!**

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Jez's POV

I stared at the scrying pond in disbelief. How had they discovered Seth so quickly? I just met him a few hours ago!

Wait… the Circle was currently located in Los Angeles. That was a three hour plane ride to Seattle. They couldn't have bought a plane ticket, gone through security and boarding, the actual flight, _and_ already be running here. It wasn't possible, even with magic. No, my Sisters were coming here for a different reason. I just had to hide my treachery from them for a few hours.

But did I want to hide my treachery from them? The Shadow Circle considered me one of their most valuable assets. They would simply kill Seth, and help me… help me what? The burning pain in my chest was unbearable just _thinking_ about Seth cold and unmoving, his beautiful russet skin pale, his brown eyes open and unseeing. No, I would protect him, if only to keep my heart from breaking.

I conjured a small ball of white witchfire in my hands. Water was easy to scry with, but it couldn't give you any details and was sometimes inaccurate. Fire took more power and concentration, but it would tell me everything I needed to know.

I peered into the bright flame until I saw the same cloaked witch as before. But now I could see there was only one witch. And I recognized her.

Raven Hightower. She was a cruel bitch, almost as bad as me. Not near as powerful, but she made up for it in ruthlessness.

I relaxed. Raven was just coming here to annoy me, and guilt trip me into going back to the Circle. It would be easy to hide Seth from her.

I let the witchfire disappear, then went inside to put a kettle of herbal tea on the stove. I despised Raven, and she would probably be one of the witches sent to kill Seth and take me in if they ever discovered my secret. But that was no reason to be rude.

Raven didn't make me wait long, thank the Goddess. She arrived about an hour after the vision in the pond.

She waltzed up my driveway with an annoyingly arrogant swagger, noting each of my protection spells, which ones she could undo herself, and which she would have to get help with.

It was amusing how much Raven was jealous of me and my power. If it weren't for me, she would be the most powerful witch of her generation. After all, Raven was the descendant of a powerful Mayan priestess, born to magic and born in the highest classes of witches.

But the Circle found me, an orphaned girl-child with no home and a spark in her green eyes. They took me in, and realized very quickly that I was more than I had seemed. I was powerful enough to rival the Witch Queens of old. They named me after the last Witch Queen to walk in this world, Queen Jezebel. And Raven became a permanent second place.

She hated me for it. She was constantly trying to sabotage me or cheat to make herself look better. It might have worked if she was closer to my power level and skill, but her plans never quite worked. I was too powerful to ever be overshadowed.

If my amount of power was compared to Raven's, she would be a pond, or a small lake. I would be the Pacific Ocean. There was just too big a difference in our power and skill levels. So I don't blame her for hating me.

That didn't mean I liked her.

I was ruthless and heartless, yes, but not like Raven. She took things to a new level when it came to cruelty. Where I would simply kill a male quickly and efficiently, she would take days, sometimes weeks to torture and destroy a male completely. And she enjoyed every moment of it. She wasn't going to touch my Seth.

Raven finally finished her inspection and stomped up the porch steps. Before she could pound on the front door hard enough to break it, I opened it with Craft. It was eerie when the door opened by itself. At least, it was to humans.

Raven stormed into the kitchen and deftly sat across from me at the elegant oak table.

"Welcome, Sister. That's for you," I nodded to the simple cup of steaming herbal tea. "I even put a warming spell on it to keep it hot for you."

"How kind of you," Raven sneered. She was a beautiful girl around twenty years old, with black eyes and straight black hair cropped to her chin. Her Mayan heritage was obvious in her face and body structure. Of course, too many people, witches included, were too terrified of her to notice any of this.

"You seem to have settled in quickly, Sister," she commented lightly, a little too lightly. I smirked as she choked on the word _Sister_.

"Yes, I've become so fond of this place so quickly. The house and land are even part of an Old Place, near the Indian reservation," I said just as lightly. However, there was a serious message underneath my light words: _stay away from MY home._

"How wonderful," Raven said stiffly, her tone clearly stating she had heard my message. She shook off her uncomfortable feelings and asked curiously, "And do you have any… distractions… in this tiny town? Something to help you pass your now-ample free time?"

My eyes narrowed, and I let the hospitable façade vanish. "Sugar, let's skip the hunt and just tree the prey. Why did you come here?"

"Hmph. The Sisters of our Circle sent me to investigate your new pet," Raven explained haughtily, examining her nails. "The little halfling girl. They want to know why you're consorting with the enemy."

Internally, I sighed in relief. Finally, some proof she didn't know about Seth. Outwardly, I glared. She was here because of Nessie's heritage.

"Choose your next words wisely, _Sister_," I growled in a low, deadly voice. "Renesmee is a half vampire, but she is also a full witch. I have started her training as a Sister, and I will not tolerate insults to her bloodline… or anything else. Renesmee will learn Craft, no matter what _you_ think is best."

Raven sat back in her chair, stunned. "Jezebel, you can be a mean bitch when you want to be."

"Damn right," I laughed.

"How can a half-vampire even be a witch?" she wondered out loud.

"I believe it's because both of her parents are now gifted vampires," I explained my theory. "Both parents were half witches with little power, since the gene that holds the gift of magic is recessive. When they had a child, there was a twenty-five percent chance that the girl would inherit both dominant genes, the normal genes. There was a fifty percent chance she would become a half-witch like her parents."

"And a twenty-five percent chance of her inheriting both recessive genes, making her a full-scale witch," Raven finished for me, stunned again. "I'll let the hags know about this."

"Thanks. And do me another favor – don't come here again without asking, sugar, or there'll be hell to pay," I said sweetly.

"Fine," she huffed. "I won't intrude on your hospitality. The elder Sisters will want updates about this girl, though."

"I am aware. Blessed be, Sister," I said, a clear dismissal.

"Blessed be," Raven replied, and left.

I monitored her movements via Craft, keeping tabs on her particular mind's feel, or scent. Witches call it a psychic residue. Some witches can even track a person using that psychic residue. I "watched" as Raven took off running into the forest, staying clear of both La Push and the Cullens' house.

I relaxed two hours later when Raven finally reached Seattle. It was pitch dark at that time, so I settled for a quick dinner, a long, hot shower, and bed. I needed rest after a day like today. And I would need it even more in the coming weeks.

* * *

Seth's POV

It didn't get better.

After listening to all of the guys encourage me, support me, and tell me my imprint would love me soon enough, I was feeling pretty good. I was confident I could show Jezebel how great of a friend, boyfriend, and general human being I could be. Nessie stayed quiet, but I didn't let her opinion get me down.

Jake and I went to pick Nessie up at school the next day so I could see Jez again and – hopefully – talk to her.

Jez and Nessie were chatting in the parking lot when we arrived, standing next to a shiny blue muscle car that made Jake drool. I think it was a Ford Mustang. There was something special about it, but I couldn't remember what, and Jake seemed to have lost the ability to speak.

When the girls spotted us, Nessie immediately ran to Jake and hugged him. Jez gave me a glare that should have killed me. Before I could even move, she was in her car and speeding out of the lot.

And it went on like that for the next two weeks. Sometimes I managed to talk to her, but she would glare at me like I was dirt on her shoes, and I would sound like an idiot. Heck, I was always an idiot around her. I felt so… inadequate around Jez. She deserved someone so much better than me.

I didn't give up. I kept trying, kept making attempts to get to know her and let her get to know me. Nothing worked, and each cold remark was more hurtful than the last.

I couldn't take much more of this. Why couldn't I do this? It was driving me insane.

The dreams weren't helping, either. Every night, I would dream of Jez and I together in a different place and time.

Like last night, I dreamed I was the Emperor of Japan, about three or four hundred years ago. There was some war going on, and lots of people had just died in a huge battle. The daughter of one of the samurai who had died had come to the palace to protest the war in memory of her father. It was Jez. She looked completely different, a lovely Japanese girl in her mid-twenties, but her eyes were the same bright green as Jez's. She and I fell in love, we stopped the war, and she became my wife. I never looked at any of the concubines in my palace again, and we had four children.

Jez didn't want to have kids with me. She didn't even want to know me. She didn't just hate me, she _despised_ me. She couldn't stand to be near me for more than a few minutes. It hurt just to think about it, especially with those dreams of lives I would never live.

I couldn't sleep anymore. I couldn't eat, either. I got sick every time I even thought about food. Which is hard when you share your mind with four other people who _love_ food.

I would keep trying. There was no other alternative. Jez was my soul mate.

But I lost a little more hope after each hateful glare and cutting response.

* * *

Jez's POV

I hate men. They could never take a fucking hint. Hell, I had given the idiot more than just a hint! Today, I blatantly told Seth I hated him, was sick at the very sight of him, and he should go throw himself off a cliff so I would never have to see his hideous face again, and he just mumbles, "Okay. See you tomorrow." What is wrong with this boy?

It's getting harder. Every glare and hateful remark makes the light in his big brown eyes dim a little more, and I couldn't stand it. I want Seth to be happy. Is that too much to ask?

I stood on the shore of First Beach, watching the small storm toss the gray waves against the rocks and sand. The sky was a tumultuous gray as well, and the wind was like a demon, throwing my long hair all around.

The weather was as tumultuous as my heart.

I wanted to run to Seth right now, beg him to forgive me for everything, and stand by his side forever. But I knew forever would be cut short by my Circle trying to kill us. There has to be a way for Seth and I to be together without my Circle killing him.

I wished there was a way, but I knew there wasn't. There was nothing I could do but try to resist. And I knew I wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer.

"WHY?" I screamed at the sky, begging my Goddess for an answer. "Why would you do this to me? I served you well! All I've ever done has been for you and your glory! How could you destroy one of your Daughters this way? WHYYYYYYY?"

I collapsed to the ground, crying. The rain washed them away quickly, but not the pain. The hideous pain in my chest was only getting worse with time. Was the pain from the betrayal of my Goddess, the deity who swore to protect me, who made me a soul mate with a male who would die because of me? Or was it from the pain I was causing that soul mate?

I needed Seth. He wouldn't ask questions, would never even think to ask them. He would just hold me. That's all I needed right now.

It was strange. I used to despise people, even my own Sisters, touching me. Yet I longed for Seth's arm around my shoulders, or holding my hand, or hugging me. How had everything changed so quickly?

The waves grew louder, the storm fiercer. No one would be outside right now. I walked right up to the raging waves, and simply stepped on top. I didn't fall into the water. I knew I wouldn't. I began dancing, twirling, moving with the wild sea. I conjured a stream of water straight up in front of me, and formed it into a perfect water-made copy of Seth. His strange face warped and wobbled with the water, but I didn't care. He was smiling, and holding me tight. I continued my dance, twirling in water-Seth's ice-cold, watery arms. I longed for the real Seth, but I was content with this for now. We continued our dance in the storm.

Little did I know, a tall figure stood at the edge of one of the cliffs, watching my every move.

* * *

**Ooo, creepy! Who do you think is watching them? Let me know in a review! And while you're there, give me other feedback! Just a suggestion... Thanks for reading!**


	6. What To Do

**I know, I know, I'm late. It's only been a few days, and I've been working non-stop lately. So please, just be glad I got this out when I did. I'll put everything important in the bottom note, so read on!**

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Jake's POV

Today had started out normal enough. Well, what was normal nowadays. Nessie was keeping secrets from me, and I couldn't tell why. She _always_ used to tell me everything. Now she worshipped the ground Jezebel Blackwood walked on.

Nessie had been silent all morning, going out of her way to avoid me. Hell, ever since she started hanging out with that chick, she's been avoiding _everyone_. And if that wasn't enough, it was like Edward blamed me for Nessie's sudden withdrawal. It's not my fault him and Bella kept Nessie locked up like she was Frankenstein since she was born.

The only humans Nessie ever knew were Charlie and Sue. Edward said it was to keep Nessie safe, so no one could find out she aged twice as fast. I call bullshit. He's just over-protective. Then Nessie finished growing, and begged to go to Forks High School, just for her senior year. Bella agreed to that one, and helped me convince Edward to allow it. Which was bullshit.

So Nessie went to high school (and I still don't know why she even wanted to go. School sucks). What none of us realized was that the high school kids hated the Cullens. That wasn't a problem when Emmett and Jasper were there, but Nessie was alone. She was picked on constantly. We all begged her to stay home, but she ignored us. She said she wanted the real high school experience.

So she suffered at that stupid school alone for two months (apparently, twenty-five years old is too old for high school, so I couldn't go with her), until Jez came to Forks.

For the first week, I was grateful. Jez was a badass that stopped the stupid kids from making Nessie's life hell. Then Seth imprinted on her, and we found out Jez wasn't a badass, she was a coldhearted bitch. So for the past two weeks, I've dealt with Nessie's cold shoulder, Seth's spiraling depression, and Edward's silent hatred. The Cullen house was inhospitable.

Needless to say, I got the hell out of there today.

I figured I hadn't seen my dad in a while so I would go visit him. Bad choice. He ended up confusing me with weird spirit-talk that made no sense.

"_Hey, Dad," I greeted my father, collapsing on the tiny couch in my old home. I had kinda moved in with the Cullens to spend more time with Nessie, so I didn't get to visit my dad in La Push very often._

"_Hello, Jake," Billy said casually, like he didn't even notice I was here. He was staring out the window into the woods, like they held some secret he needed to figure out._

"_Uh, what are you looking at, Dad?" I asked hesitantly, coming up behind to stare out the window, too. I didn't see anything new. It looked the same as it did when I was born._

"_When was the last time you were here in La Push, Jake?" Dad asked cryptically, still staring outside._

"_Uh, I don't know. About a month ago?" I guessed. I honestly couldn't remember. Nessie had really needed me for the past few months, so I didn't really visit._

"_I talked to Sue yesterday. Emily, too. A lot of the women in La Push, actually. They've been noticing some strange things in the past few weeks."_

"_What kinds of things?" I asked hesitantly._

"_Everything is growing," Billy said. "The women don't even have to try to grow gardens or flowers anymore. They put the seeds in the ground, and they grow. It used to be difficult, growing things in La Push. That's why the Quileutes were mainly fishermen. But something has changed."_

"_What's changed?" I asked carefully, almost not wanting to hear the answer._

"_I don't know."_

After that weird conversation that didn't help my mood at all, I left. I didn't need more disturbing, useless information today. My head was busy enough trying to figure Nessie and this Jez girl out.

I eventually ended up walking along the cliffs, watching the ocean. There was a storm coming, so there was a strong wind and the waves were getting bigger. I could make it back to the Cullens long before it hit, though, so I wasn't worried.

The sound of the waves was really starting to calm me. The constant, uneven rhythm was actually quite soothing. I felt much better. After all, it was Friday. Tomorrow I would talk to Nessie about this whole thing. Maybe she would actually talk to me this time.

Oh crap, someone's drowning! I could just barely make out the form of a tall girl in the waves. But… I could see her whole body. _Holy shit, she's walking on the water!_

I couldn't wrap my mind around the concept. Wasn't Jesus a guy?

The girl is dancing, moving with some kind of figure _made of water_. This is just too weird. I have to be dreaming. Maybe I fell off the cliff earlier and I'm just dreaming now.

The girl and her watery partner were doing a strange dance, moving in complicated patterns in time with the waves. I just stood there, watching them twirl, rise, and fall. This has to be the weirdest thing I have ever seen. And I've seen a lot of weird things.

Then I noticed the girl's long reddish-brown hair. It was Jezebel Blackwood.

What did this mean? Nessie's psycho-feminist friend can dance on water…

How do I tell Nessie?

* * *

Seth's POV

"_Imhotep, please ask the queen to join me," I asked one of my advisers. He bowed and left, leaving me alone on the balcony, staring over the harsh desert at the surprise I had built for my beautiful wife. My face was going to be immortalized in the limestone as an Egyptian god-king. Now hers would be, too._

_As the pharaoh of Egypt, I had received many wives over the years, but none had captured my heart like she had. She was a typical Egyptian beauty, with tan skin and long, straight hair that was as black as pitch. But her eyes were a strange, brilliant emerald green, like the grass that lined the Nile. She was my true soul mate in this life._

"_My lord, you called for me?" her voice drifted onto the balcony, and I couldn't help but smile as I turned to face her. Even her voice was beautiful. I could barely hide my excitement._

"_Yes. Come see what I have made for you," I gestured for her to join me at my side. She looked at me quizzically, her eyes questioning. She was always so wary._

_When she finally reached me, I wrapped an arm around her waist and gestured to the monument in front of me. She gasped, her eyes wide with delight._

"_Oh, my love, you did this for me?" she exclaimed as she stared at the sandstone statue that was a perfect replica of her, standing almost fifty feet tall._

"_Of course, my dear one," I responded. "You are my love, my true soul mate. Now all of Egypt will know this to be true."_

"_It's marvelous! Thank you!" she cried, and kissed me. In that moment, there was nothing else I could want._

I woke with a start, shooting up into a sitting position. I was on a couch in the Cullens' house, breathing heavily.

"The dreams are getting worse, aren't they?" Edward asked as he sat down next to me.

"Yeah," I muttered, knowing he could hear me. The dreams always seem so real until I wake up…

"Seth, I don't think these are normal dreams," Edward said seriously.

"What makes you say that?" I asked, confused. I mean, yeah, it's weird that my dreams have a pattern, all about my imprint, but what was the big deal?

"Seth, I can still hear your thoughts when you're asleep. I've seen all of these dreams, and they're… different from normal dreams. They're incredibly detailed, they all follow the same pattern, they all involve Jez… these dreams are more like memories," Edward explained. "It's not normal."

"I know," I mumbled. "What do I do about them?"

Edward stared out the window, clearly at a loss for words. "I'm not sure," he said finally.

Of course… "I think I need to talk to Jez about this."

"Seth, she refuses to even speak to you without insulting you. How are you going to talk to her about the strange dreams you've been having… that revolve around her and your long, joyous marriages together?" Edward asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Hey, tomorrow's Saturday. I'll go to her house and talk to her alone. Maybe she's not as terrifying when there are no people around," I said. I really doubt that, though.

"Agreed," Edward said.

Hey, no listening to my thoughts! It's creepy!

* * *

Jez's POV

After trudging home through the rain, I wasn't feeling better. I needed to go do something, something that would remind me of the badass witch I was. The witch who was the master of her own destiny.

Caroline lived in Seattle. Perhaps it would be beneficial to see what my former life was like, and how I helped her start her new life.

I changed into my witch's gear; black pants, black knee-high flat boots, and a green-and-gold stretch-cotton tank top. It was perfect for fighting since it allowed me free movement. And I'm less likely to hurt myself without the heels I usually wear.

The run to Seattle wasn't that long. About an hour. I kept an even pace so I wouldn't be exhausted when I arrived. I ran to a little subdivision right outside of Seattle with medium-sized houses that all looked exactly alike. This is why I build my own homes. Stupid cookie-cutter suburbia…

I stopped in front of a nice light blue house with a green lawn and a small garden. I walked up the well-kept pathway to the red front door and knocked lightly.

Caroline answered the door, gasped as soon as she saw me, squealed, and pulled me into a tight hug. She was a petite woman with big blue eyes and short blond hair. She was pretty. That got her into trouble. That's how I met her.

"Oh, Jez! How wonderful to see you again! Oh, you look so beautiful! Come in, come in! The girls will be so happy to see you. And Greg isn't home, I know how you hate any kind of man, so you'll be comfortable. Take a seat! I'll make tea," Caroline exclaimed, pulling me into the house. I sat at her dining room table while she busied herself making tea – herbal, just for me – and chatting about a thousand things at once.

Caroline used to be so shy. She could barely speak to me when we first met. Then again, her first husband would have killed her if he found out she was talking to anyone, so I couldn't blame her. I fixed that, though.

Her first husband was a violent, abusive monster. He was the kind of man that made me think the Goddess had no heart in giving him life and inflicting his cruelty on the world. He beat poor Caroline whenever she did anything he didn't like… like when his shirts were folded wrong, or his dinner was only luke-warm.

I gave that man a taste of his own medicine. And now, he's buried in a grave no has ever found – or ever will find.

Afterward, I helped Caroline with the finances and arrangements to make sure she could live life on her own. And now, she has a husband and two beautiful little girls. She has a good life, and it's because I helped her get rid of that bastard.

"Caroline," I interrupted her chatter.

"Yes?" she asked as she set two cups of tea on the table.

"Did I make your life better? You just got married to another man. Did anything actually change?" I asked.

"Of course!" Caroline gasped in surprise. "Jez, Greg is a wonderful man! He would never hurt me, and he's a great father. I love him so much."

"That's… good," I managed.

"Dear, I know you have this thing with men, where you think they're worthless and they're just going to use and abuse you. I thought the same after that… man. But then I met Greg, and he understands me in a way no one else does. He's kind and generous and treats me like a queen," Caroline said gently. "Just talk to a man one of these days. See if they're as bad as you think."

"Maybe," I murmured. We talked for another two hours before I looked at the clock. It was already six at night.

"Wow, it's late. I need to get going," I said, standing up.

"But you just got here!" Caroline protested.

"I'm sorry, I was just dropping in. I'll come for a longer visit soon, alright?" I said, trying to placate her so I could get the hell out of this place.

"Alright, Jez. Just remember what I said," she said sternly.

"I will. Take care, Caroline," I said, hugging her tightly.

"You, too. Let someone into your life, Jez. There is a difference between serving a man and loving one."

I wandered around the city for the next hour or so, thinking about Caroline. She had been brutally beaten so many times… how could she just let a man into her life again so easily? It must have been so hard for her to offer that trust to him. She looked much happier, too.

Could it be so simple? One of the most important laws – a law I swore to never break – is to never submit to a male. Could I love without submitting? Is that even possible?

I was in the shopping district when my cell phone rang. I looked at the caller id and swore. Raven.

"What do you want?" I answered the phone snappishly.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch. The Sisters have a job for you," Raven said seriously.

"Did someone forget to tell them? I'm on leave. They can't tell me to do anything right now," I snapped.

"Oh yeah?" Raven replied. "There's a witch in Seattle who's… how to put it? Whoring herself out to the public."

"You mean she's taken a male into her life? There's no law against that. The Sisters take lovers all the time," I said.

"Yes, but there are lovers and then there's actually _loving_ the male. She's kept under the radar for years, but she finally slipped up. I noticed while I was visiting you last week. She's a decent fighter, so a regular coven of witches wouldn't be able to take her out if she decides to fight. It will take you less than an hour to take out the male. If the witch fights, take her out, too," Raven said nonchalantly.

If I refused this job, Raven would come back to Washington. She would sense my indecision immediately. I had to keep her away until I figured out what I was going to do about Seth.

"Lucky you, Raven. I just happen to be in Seattle right now," I said, hating the words coming from my mouth. "What's the witch's name?"

* * *

**Oh no! Is Jez going to revert back to her old ways as an assasin? And what is Jake going to do with his new discovery? Just questions for you guys to think about, I don't expect answers. You can answer in a review if you like, though. I don't mind.**

**Now, since I've been so busy, I'm changing the expected date of the next chapter. Check for it in 10 days to two weeks. I only get one day off for Thanksgiving, so I'm not expecting much for writing time.**

**Also, one review yesterday is what really kicked my ass into updating today. So even when it's been a while since the last update, I still like reviews! One of my favorite parts is coming up next, so please review!**


	7. Only Love Makes You Weightless

**I'm procrastinating writing my science paper, so I decided I would brighten your Monday with an update! This is my absolute favorite chapter out of the whole story, but I'm not sure if I did it justice. Let me know how I did!**

* * *

Jez's POV

I trudged down the street, scrolling through the information Raven had sent me via text message. I now had pictures of the couple, their car registrations, their home address, their work addresses, and their schedules.

Goddess, I hate this. Why did I have to do this? I'm supposed to be on vacation, dammit! I don't want to be a part of this life anymore. I just want to work in my garden, teach Nessie how to be a witch, and… be with Seth, but I would settle for watching him from afar. I was compromising here! Don't I get any credit for that?

Apparently not.

After going through the info Raven had sent me, I figured cornering the man after work would be the best way to… take him out. The witch couldn't protect him if she wasn't there.

According to the info, the man got out of work late every Friday. He was an editor of some sort, and had weekends off, so he got stuck at the office late on that night every week to make sure everything was ready for the other employees when he wasn't there.

I approached the large white building that held his office with caution. I did a quick psychic probe.

**The man was collecting his things to leave. His wife had also put a few strong protective spells around the building and grounds. How thoughtful of her. Unfortunately, her efforts were useless. With a quick snap from my psychic probe, the shields were gone. I waited by the man's car for him. It was a simple thing, a red sedan. 2008 Ford Fusion, not bad…**

Oh Goddess, there was a car seat in the back. Judging by the size, it must be for an infant. The man had a child with the witch.

I heard the glass door open from the building, and quickly arranged my face so I showed no emotion. I leaned casually against the passenger door, watching him search for his keys.

When he finally looked up, I wanted to cry. He looked surprised at first, but it quickly disappeared as resignation took its place. Apparently, his witch told him what would happen if they were caught. He continued walking towards me with his head held high until he was about ten feet away from me.

"You're from the Shadow Circle, aren't you?" he asked, even though his face said he already knew the answer.

"Yes," I answered simply.

"You're here to kill me, aren't you?" he asked in the same tone.

"Yes."

"If you kill me here and now, it means you don't have to hurt my wife or daughter, right? They stay safe?" he asked desperately this time.

"They will be unharmed," I replied.

"Then… just make it quick," he said, held out his arms, and closed his eyes. He was willing to die, without a fight, just so his family could live…

Oh Goddess, I can't do it. He reminds me too much of Seth. I could just see Seth giving himself up to the Circle to save me, and… This man was kind, giving. I don't know if it's against the Goddess to kill him, and it may or may not be, but it's sure as hell against my code of honor.

"Run," I said seriously.

The man blinked, then looked up at me, confused. "What?"

"You heard me, run. Get out of here, get your wife and daughter, run, and never look back."

"But… you're Jezebel Blackheart, aren't you?" he asked timidly. "You never let witches like my wife go free."

Blackheart. The nickname some witches had given me. Before I came here, I was proud of it. Now that I had met Seth… I couldn't be more ashamed.

"Yes, I am. But some things change. I'm not immune to the Goddess's whims. So go. I'll cover your tracks. The Circle will never know you're still alive," I said.

"Thank you… thank you so much! Oh, may the Goddess bless you, and… oh, what was it… Merry meet!" he said, and rushed to his car. 'Merry meet' was a traditional saying witches used when greeting or parting. I wonder how much his wife told him about us…

"Merry meet," I replied, and he sped away like demons were on his heels.

I raced home, constantly going over everything in my head. Did I do the right thing tonight? Did I make my Goddess proud tonight? Or is she shuddering with embarrassment and rage?

I made a quick brew to help me sleep before I went to bed. There was no way I would get any rest tonight without it. Too many things were going through my mind.

I drank it down, and settled in for a long, dreamless sleep.

* * *

I awoke the next morning to a slight headache. It was a side effect of the brew last night. I shook it off and took a long, hot shower. I used all of my special soaps and shampoos and conditioners, so I smelled like my garden.

Breakfast was a quick piece of toast (I never liked a heavy breakfast), then it was off to my garden. I needed to do nothing today.

My garden was just as green and colorful and alive as it was yesterday, if not more so. But the rare sunshine and the living things that usually gave me such pleasure had no affect on me today.

Even with my plants, I felt… lonely. Like there was something missing, not just today, but in my whole life. It was depressing.

I sat underneath the willow, letting my hand drift, making ripples in the seeing pond.

I couldn't help but feel lonely. I saw the love in that man's eyes last night, and after that, I could see how devoid my life has been. It's always been that way.

According to the Circle, they found me in an orphanage, completely alone. I had no one, so they took me in and raised me. When I was ten years old, after a decade of hard work, I was initiated into the Circle of Shadows.

It was technically against the laws of witches to initiate a witch under the age of eighteen, saying the witch needed that time to mature before she could pick a Circle that she truly wanted to serve for the rest of her life. My Sisters made an exception for me. I was too powerful to remain uninitiated.

Or, at least, that's what they told me. Now, I'm beginning to think they just wanted a claim to me and my power. The Sisters could be cruel like that…

But the Sisters raised me…

I groaned. This is just making my headache worse.

I stayed in my garden for another hour, watching the trees move in the light breeze. It was a lovely dance.

A twinge went through my mind suddenly, like a string being plucked. Someone was coming towards my house and had walked through the first of my alert spells.

I jumped up and ran for my front door. The person felt familiar…

I stood on my front porch, probing for the mind of the person that was approaching my home.

Suddenly, my headache increased until I thought my mind would split open. My vision blurred, and then…

I was standing in my front yard, just getting out of my car. This was clearly a vision of the future, but I had never had one like this before. I felt like I was actually living in this moment.

I was wearing some business suit, a nice blazer and a pencil skirt with high heels. It was a pain walking to my front door in those stilettos. I could hear myself thinking about the day I had just had. Stupid investors, trying to control how I ran _my_ company…

"Welcome home, baby!" my loving husband greeted me, ran out the door, jumped down the steps and scooped me into a huge hug. I couldn't help but laugh as Seth swung me around and unconditional love filled my heart until it felt like it would burst.

"Oh, it's good to be home. I just had the worst day…" I started saying, but two children appeared in the doorway with wide eyes.

"Momma's home!" they cried, and ran straight for me. They giggled and squealed while I hugged them, and more love than I ever thought possible was growing inside me.

"Momma, Daddy started reading us a story today!" Lena told me happily. She was five years old, and looked just like me. She had her daddy's nose and capacity for good, though.

"Yeah, it was amazing, Mom! Beowulf is awesome!" Aidan laughed. He was seven, and getting taller by the day. He definitely took after his father. But there were green flecks in his brown eyes, and his skin was a little lighter than the normal Quileute's.

I sat in the driveway of my home, listening to my family tell me about their day, laughing and loving and exploding with joy. With them, I could never feel alone.

Then the vision ended, and I was alone on my porch again. I felt so empty without the love I had for that family, _my_ family…

I slumped to the ground. I wanted to cry, I wanted to hit something in frustration. I want that future! I want that to be my future with Seth, I want it so bad it hurts.

How could my Circle convince a ten year old girl to join the Circle! Now, I could never have that life for fear they could take it all away from me.

"You cold-hearted bitches!" I yelled, and threw an empty pot that was next to me through the doorway. I heard it hit something and shatter.

I heard a guitar solo start up from inside the house, and I looked inside. The pot had hit my stereo, and it had somehow turned it on.

"_When you were young burning under the covers,  
__And hundreds of lovers,  
__Were trailing out behind you,  
__Time will move just as fast as you pull it,  
__Quicker than a bullet,  
__You know it's gonna remind you,  
__How your heart so sticky sweet,  
__Is waiting to attack.  
__You play the hand you're given,  
__Even though the deck is stacked.  
__Until you're ready for the next one, yeah,"_

Ah, Floater. They were an amazing band based out of Portland, but right now, their music was hitting too close to home. How had they known the exact mood I was in right now?

"_And then a wise man taught you a lesson,  
__While you were confessin',  
__Staring at the fire.  
__Take your time cause as long as you're livin',  
__It's all that you're given,  
__You are a slave to desire.  
__You said, 'Oh, sun, come out today,'  
__It said, 'I will not shine.'  
__You beg the moon to light your way,  
__It said, 'I must decline.'"_

A movement behind me caught my eye, and I turned to see Seth walk down my drive. He looked sad and depressed and all sorts of hopeless, and I would give anything to take it away.

And suddenly, it didn't matter anymore. Not my Goddess, not my Sisters, not anything else in this world but Seth. He was the only one that mattered. I loved him, and I would make that vision of mine become a reality.

The incident last night, the vision, the music, it was all a sign from the Goddess. She did all of this so I would finally get the nerve to go after the life I wanted. I knew exactly what I needed – and, for once, wanted – to do.

I ran down the stairs towards him, a huge smile on my face. He looked so confused. I would explain later, but right now, I threw myself into his arms. It felt good. It felt right. I was exactly where I wanted to be, where I needed to be.

"I know, I don't make sense, and we have a lot to talk about," I said as he wrapped his arms around me tighter. "But we'll talk about it later. I'm so sorry. I love you."

"I love you, too," Seth said, sounding confused but completely sincere.

We stood there and held one another for only the Goddess knows how long, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

I was exactly where I belonged.

"_Because the fall,  
__Makes you break.  
__But the break, it makes you see that,  
__Only the light,  
__Gives you shape,  
__In the darkness you stay shapeless.  
__Only love gives you wings,  
__Only love can keep you waiting,  
__Only love makes you weightless."_

**This song is called "Weightless" by Floater (I don't own this, either). I highly suggest you check it out on Youtube or something, because they are amazing, and this song just isn't the same on screen. Please, review and let me know how I did!**


	8. A Glance at Heaven

**Alright, it's been WAY more than a few weeks, so you have an excuse to be mad. I just have been too busy with work and school and Christmas to have the time to give you guys a decent chapter. So, here's my Christmas present to you! A new chapter!**

**Also, I will be writing a Christmas special for Love Like Crazy or Soul Singer (I haven't decided which yet). Sorry to those who don't celebrate Christmas, but I do, so... yeah. Regardless of your holiday preference, please read and enjoy!**

* * *

Seth's POV

I couldn't believe this. I came to Jez's house, expecting her typical hostile glare and cutting remarks that made me die inside. Instead, she welcomes me with open arms – literally.

We were standing in her front yard, holding on to one another like our lives depended on it. She pulled back, put her hands on either side of my face and stared into my eyes.

Her eyes bored into mine, and I couldn't help but feel like she was reading my soul. Hers were like giant emeralds with such depth and emotion… what have those eyes seen? They were ancient eyes that looked like she had seen everything.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she whispered for what seemed like the millionth time. She looked so sad, like her world had fallen apart.

"It's okay, it doesn't matter anymore," I said. "We're together now, that's all I care about."

"I know, but it's not about that. We need to talk about some things. I need to explain everything to you. It's not fair to you if I don't," she insisted.

"Okay, tell me everything you need to tell me," I said. It didn't matter what she was going to tell me. Nothing would change the way I felt about her.

She paused, and I could almost see the wheels in her mind turning as she thought about… whatever she's thinking about. I don't know her well enough to guess what she's thinking. God, that bothers me…

"Let's sit in my garden," she said finally, and from the serious look on her face, there was more to this statement than there seemed to be.

When she opened the seven-feet-high gate, I understood why.

It was like the gate opened up into the garden of heaven. There were at least a thousand different colors, different flowers and plants. It made my head spin. There was so much to take in. It was all so beautiful. Just like her.

Jez took my hand and led me to small patch of grass beside a willow tree and a small pond. The surface was so smooth, it looked like glass. She looked so peaceful here… she belonged in this kind of wonderland. She was unbelievably beautiful, it was unbelievably beautiful… she fit in perfectly here, more than she ever would in the Forks high school.

She sat down next to the pond, staring into its depths. I sat across from her, waiting for her to organize her thoughts. I kept a firm grip on her hand, though.

"Seth, it's obvious, isn't it?" she asked quietly, still not looking at me.

"What's obvious?" I asked.

She took a deep breath. "It's obvious that neither of us is human."

"Wait, what?"

"Seth, please. I knew you were a shapeshifter the first time I saw you. And do you honestly think this –" she gestured around us to the garden "– was made by a human?"

Well, that made sense. This place was a little too fantastical to be human-made.

"I guess not," I said. "But does that make you like… I don't know, a magical garden gnome or something?"

Jez threw back her head and laughed. It was like music to my ears. Soft, sweet, loud, the first real laugh I've heard from her. God, she was perfect.

"No. Goddess, no. Gnomes are about a foot tall, and rather pudgy and unattractive. I doubt you see me that way," she said with a pointed look, but she was smiling. Her grin faded, and she took another deep breath. "Seth, I'm still not human. I – I'm a witch."

I blinked. How am I supposed to even respond to that? I knew she wasn't joking. Better just be honest. "Maybe I sound stupid, but I'm not entirely sure what that means."

She laughed humorlessly. I didn't like it as much as the other laugh. "A witch. Not like Glinda the Good or the Wicked Witch of the West. Not like any fairytale witch, actually. There's magic in my blood, in my soul. I'm connected to the natural world around me. I can feel the life in the grass, the trees, the air… Wow, I'm not making any sense, am I?"

"Let me see if what I have so far is right," I suggested. She nodded for me to continue.

"Fairytales got witches wrong. They're actually good creatures connected to the world around them – to nature, right?"

"They're not innately good," she whispered. "A witch has a choice about whether she's… good or not. Vampires and werewolves and shape shifters can choose whether they're good or not, same as everything."

I gripped her hand harder. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"I'm not a good witch, Seth," she said fervently. "I was horrible, cruel… the worst kind of monster. I belong to a circle of witches who do nothing but terrible things… I left them because I was tired of the blood, of the death all around me, and I came here, and I met you, and… everything changed."

"Tell me everything – from the beginning," I suggested. She nodded her consent.

"I don't know where to start… the Shadow Circle found me when I was an infant, an orphan. They took care of me, raised me, and taught me Craft. You're supposed to wait until a witch is eighteen before you initiate them into a Circle, but my Sisters insisted that I was too powerful to remain uninitiated. I joined the Circle officially at the age of ten."

"Ten?" I gasped. "How could they expect a ten year old to make a life decision like that?"

"They didn't want me to have a decision, Seth," Jez said bitterly. "They were only solidifying their control over me. I was their favorite weapon until I had enough and finally came here for a break."

"How could they use you like that?" It was the only thing I could say.

"They're like the Volturi, Seth. They don't care."

"Wait, you know about the Volturi?" I gasped. I seem to be doing that a lot today…

"Oh, I know the Volturi," Jez laughed humorlessly. "They're the reason so many witches are in hiding."

"What did they do? Or try to do, I guess."

"Slaughter," Jez said simply. "We were their rivals for power. Aro and Caius are obsessed with absolute control over the supernatural, and fifteen hundred years ago, witches were the ruling class. So the last Witch Queen and a band of her followers fought the Volturi when they attacked, giving up their lives to give witches around the world the time needed to disappear and live in hiding."

"No way," I whispered. The first dream I had about Jez and I, she was a Celtic witch queen, preparing for a fight against the Volturi…

"What? What is it?" she asked, looking into my eyes.

"I saw it," I said. "In my dreams. You were the Queen, and I was some… traveler or something, and we fell in love, and the Volturi came, and –"

"Show me," she cut me off, staring into my eyes like they would start playing it like a movie.

"Um, I can't?" I said, confused beyond all reason.

She sighed, and put one hand on either side of my face. "Just think about what you saw, alright? I'll look into your mind and see your memory of it."

"Um, okay," I said, still not quite understanding what she was going to do.

I closed my eyes, and tried to remember the dream. What happened next was really weird, but very effective at telling the story. It was like we were physically in my dream, but we were transparent, not part of the story. We were ghosts watching a 3-D scene.

_I stumbled over rocks and exposed tree roots as they dragged me to their camp. I was terrified, but insanely curious as to what they were protecting. They were in a group of five, all large men with strange blue markings on their faces and bodies. Like war paint._

_The leader led us deeper into the woods. The sky above was barely visible through the thick branches and foliage, but I could see little specks of blue. Somehow that made me calmer._

_In stories, they say you can see a light at the end of the tunnel when you approach the end of your journey. I didn't see light until we emerged from the forest, suddenly and without warning. I squinted my eyes, it was so bright. I could see the small huts and the pale white faces of people._

_The villagers shrunk away from us as they dragged me closer to the largest hut. The straw and brick didn't look very sturdy, but who was I to judge?_

_The leader stopped in front of the door and knocked._

"_What is it, Alistair?" a beautiful, lyrical voice answered. She was definitely female, and she didn't sound upset. Simply curious._

"_We found the intruder you Saw, my Queen," the leader, or Alistair, answered her._

"_Bring him in," the beautiful alto voice replied._

_The men responded by tightening their already-strong grip on my upper arms and dragging me inside the hut. I stole one last glance at the blue sky before I entered, though. It might be the last time I ever see it again._

_The room was dark but for a few small candles. A woman sat beside them, shrouded in darkness._

"_What brings you to our land, stranger?"the mysterious woman asked politely._

"_I am a traveler, Your Highness," I responded as politely as I could manage. "I grew tired of my simple, ordinary life, so I left my village in Spain to see the world. I simply wandered into your land by chance."_

"_By chance? There is no such thing. Everything happens for a reason, stranger. Sometimes the Goddess does not reveal the reason until she believes we are ready for the truth," the woman replied._

_The woman stood and walked past us into the clearing behind us. Now in the light, it was easy to see she had a lovely figure clothed in long, flowing robes of blue and green, and long reddish-brown hair that tumbled down her back in waves._

"_Stay with us a few days, Spaniard. We will discover your true reason for coming here together," she said, and turned to smile at me. She was so stunningly beautiful I almost forgot my own name. Her green eyes pierced my soul._

"_That sounds wonderful," I replied._

* * *

"_Come, Spaniard, you must learn to fight without your knife," Alistair said, dragging me to the practice circle. It was clear after less than an hour in the village that these were a warrior people, and their beautiful Queen Jezebel was no exception. She wielded both her magic and her body as a deadly weapon with terrifying precision._

"_For the last time, Alistair, his name is Alejandro," Jezebel chided her second-in-command Alistair._

_Alistair huffed and threw me a spear._

"_My Queen, don't waste your breath. It is clear none of your subjects are interested in calling me anything but 'Spaniard'," I said with a smile. After all, I was an outsider. The Queen was the only one to treat me like she would any of her subjects._

"_Then I will be the only one to use your name, I suppose. It's a shame, you have such a lovely name," she said with a smile._

"_I don't mind that arrangement at all," I said with a smile of my own._

* * *

"_You must leave," Jezebel said sadly. We stood on top of a hill, looking over the roaring ocean. The sun was setting, and the warm reds, pinks, oranges, and purples of the sky only made her look more beautiful. Goddess, I loved this woman._

"_I won't leave you. I can't. I love you too much to let you face this alone," I told her fervently._

"_Alejandro, I love you too, more than you will ever understand, but they don't come to make peace! They want us dead, they want every witch in this world dead! You have no ties to this place, they have no reason to harm you. Leave, and give me the peace of mind I will receive knowing you survived," she whispered._

"_I can't. They have no reason to harm me, but I have every reason to stay. You are my Queen, my love, my true soul mate. I can't leave you," I replied simply._

"_Then… this is our last sunset," she said, looking out over the raging waves._

"_Yes. And I have no regrets," I said, taking her hand._

"_None? You don't want a family, or a long life?" she whispered, still refusing to look at me._

"_The only reason I would want those things would be the joy living them with you would bring. If this is your last night alive, than it's my last as well."_

_She suddenly threw her arms around me and held me tight. I held her just as tightly._

"_I love you," she whispered into my ear._

"_And I love you. Tomorrow, we face the Volturi together, no matter what might come of it."_

"_Tomorrow," she whispered._

Jez gasped as she dropped her hands. My head throbbed a little.

"Such detail… and… that's how we died, isn't it? The Volturi killed us both the next day, didn't they?" she whispered. It was so similar to how her previous life had spoken, I had to shake my head a little to remind myself of the year. I was in America in the 21st century, not Britain in the 4th century.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Seth… I have to tell you. The Shadow Circle… they believed men were the cause of the switch in power. They've forbidden all of their Sisters from consorting with males for any reason other than reproduction. They'll kill you," she whispered.

"Why?" I gasped. "I would never hurt you!"

"Of course you wouldn't, anymore than I would hurt you. But they think my love for you will make me weak… make me less of a witch. They'll kill you because they think it will destroy them."

"What will happen to you?" I asked slowly.

"It depends on what I do if they kill you," Jez said, not looking at me. "If I let them kill you and don't put up a fight, they'll take me back and rehabilitate me, and let me move on with my life. If I fight to protect you, they'll kill me, too."

I sighed in relief. "Good! At least you'll still be okay when they kill me."

"Seth, if you think for one minute that I won't fight with everything I have to protect you, then you have _not_ been paying attention," Jez said sharply.

"Then… we just try to keep this secret for as long as possible?" I said.

"Basically," she replied.

"Okay… then while we wait for death, can I ask a few questions?"

"Sure," she said, looking very confused.

"What's your favorite color?"

"What?"

My imprint was going to have to share a few things about herself, whether she wanted to or not.

* * *

**I know, it's not my best, but I think it was pretty good. And this is not the last past-life flashback, so be prepared for a few from 1800s Buckingham Palace and the Imperial City in China! Please check out the specials coming out, and don't forget to review! Merry Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate!**


	9. A Night Out

**So, I didn't wait for months to update... I consider this a good thing. Unfortunately, I just got laid-off my job. Bad thing. And school is out on break. Good thing. What I'm trying to say is: aside from boyfriend, I have no life, so I should be updating more. And the Christmas special probably isn't going to happen - I want to focus on this story. Especially since it's almost New Years, and it's a little late for Christmas. **

**Also, I have a new poll up, asking, yet again, what story I should write after this one. It's on my profile, so please be nice and let me know what story you want me to write next, because I can't decide. One of the options is a sequel for Love Like Crazy, so please vote! And that's everything I wanted to say, so read on!**

* * *

Jez's POV

"Favorite color?"

"Green. It's the color of growing things."

"Favorite food?"

"Ummm… I think rice. Any kind of rice dish is delicious. Different toppings can completely change the nature of the dish. It's very versatile. But delicious on its own, too."

"Awesome. Favorite flower?"

"I could never decide on one kind."

"Understandable."

Just when I thought Seth knew my favorite for just about everything, he would come up with more questions. We'd been doing this for over an hour so far, and while it was annoying as hell, I couldn't help but enjoy it, too.

"Favorite animal?"

"Wolf."

Seth smiled, and it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.

"Sugar, don't flatter yourself. It's not because of you," I teased. "I love wolves. They're noble, caring, ferocious, and very family-oriented. And they're fluffy. And adorable."

"Good to hear," Seth replied, his smile still firmly in place. "Favorite time of day?"

"Dawn. The sun is just rising, and everything is new."

"Favorite kind of weather?"

"Once again, can't decide. I love sunshine, I love the rain, I love storms… any weather is wonderful."

Seth paused for breath, and I took my only chance. "Wow, it's already past four o'clock. Do you want to get something to eat?"

Seth blinked, then smiled. "Yeah! Do you want to eat here, or go out?"

"Hmmm…" I paused to think, and came up with an infinitely better idea. "How about we call Nessie, get a group together, and we can all go to Port Angeles? We could… I don't know… what do normal mortal kids do on a Saturday night?"

"A movie?" Seth suggested.

"Is there anything good out right now?" I asked.

"Not really. I think there's a crappy bowling alley. We could go bowling," Seth said.

"Sounds good to me," I laughed. "I'll call Nessie, and she'll call Jake. Who else are we inviting?"

"I'll just send a mass text to all of the guys," Seth said, and pulled out a phone that looked too old to be working anymore.

"How old is that thing?" I asked in disgust. "It looks like it will give you radiation poisoning."

"Hey, no knocking my phone, this thing's a beast," Seth defended it. "I can phase with it in my back pocket, step on it, throw it at Leah, and it still works."

"How about I just buy you a nice phone, and replace it whenever it breaks?" I suggested while I texted Nessie with my nice iPhone.

"I don't need a nice phone. And I'm supposed to be the one spending money on you!" Seth protested, also texting (but he was taking a much longer time doing so than me – his phone doesn't have a full keyboard).

"Seth, who are you talking to? We are not going to be a typical couple – whoever has the most money is going to be paying," I said, knowing full well that Seth would never have more money than me. I was the one who put him through hell – I want to spoil him a little now for not giving up.

"Hell no. You drive a car that isn't available to the public for another year, you own a house by yourself, and you have a big, fancy phone. I am not agreeing to that," Seth argued. Goddess, this kid does not give up!

"Alright, I won't go crazy. Just a few small things," I tried bargaining.

"Jeez, now I know how Bella felt… okay, but I have to pre-approve anything before you buy!" he insisted. I rolled my eyes. If that was the best I was going to get… well, I'll find a loophole.

"Fine. If you insist," I sighed.

"I do. And Quil says he and Claire are in. Embry just said he'll tag along, too," he informed me, staring at his phone.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and read the new message from Nessie. "Good, Nessie and Jake are in. Nessie said she'll take the guys and Claire so we can get some time for just the two of us."

"Awesome. How are we getting there?" Seth asked. I raised an eyebrow.

"My car. I'm driving."

* * *

When I got out of the car, I noticed Seth was still in his seat. I chuckled and walked around to his side of the car and pulled his door open.

"Are you coming?" I asked impatiently.

"You're insane," Seth whispered, looking a little shell-shocked. He was shaking, and staring straight ahead.

"I'm a good driver. I just go a little faster than most people," I said. Which should have been obvious, I do everything faster than normal people.

"Driving 130 miles per hour on the highway is not 'a little faster'! Edward doesn't even drive that fast!" Seth hissed.

"Get over it, sugar. I do a lot of things that are dangerous, and this is not one of them," I laughed. He was so protective, it was adorable.

"This isn't… no, I don't want to know," he muttered. He straightened up and smiled, "Well, I think we beat the others here by a few hours, what do you want to do?"

"Let's get some food," I said. "I'm buying. And you agreed I could buy little things, and a meal counts as little."

"Have you seen me eat?" he asked as he got out of the car on shaky legs.

"Have you seen _me_ eat?"

* * *

At the little diner we picked, Seth's eyes widened as I ate just as much as him.

"What?" I asked, sipping my milkshake after three cheeseburgers and two large fries.

"You… eat more than the average girl," he said carefully.

"Yeah. Witches have higher metabolisms than humans. The power in our bodies burns up food and everything much faster," I explained.

"So… you're never going to ask me if you look fat or if you're eating too much?" he asked, a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

"Never," I confirmed. His smile was huge. "Why are you so excited about that?"

"I live with my mother and older sister. I've been asked 'Does this make me look fat?' too many times to count," Seth explained.

"Don't worry, you'll never hear me ask that. I know I look good in everything," I laughed, teasing.

"You do. You're perfect," Seth said seriously.

"Physically, yes. Mentally and emotionally? I'm far from perfect," I corrected him.

"You're perfect to me," he said, looking at me like I was his world.

"Is there any point in arguing with you?" I sighed.

"Nope," he replied happily. Well, as long as he's happy…

"Oh crap!" Seth gasped, looking horrified.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I asked, preparing for a fight. Power flowed through my hands, and I scanned the diner for enemies. Nothing…

"Oh, I just realized Embry's going to be a third wheel tonight," he said, like it was a tragedy.

I relaxed. "Really?"

"Well, yeah. Jake's got Nessie, Quil's got Claire, and I have you now, so Embry's going to be a… seventh wheel tonight. He's going to feel left out, and crappy, and –"

"If it's that big of a deal," I interrupted, "I'll call one of my friends to hang out with him."

"One of your crazy Shadow friends? I thought they were trying to kill us!" Seth gasped.

"Oh, wow, no. Not every single witch I know is part of the Shadow Circle. She's a solitary witch, she does whatever the hell she wants. Her name is Tatiana," I explained.

"Oh. Oh, okay, that should work. Thanks, babe!" he said happily, then leaned across the table and pecked me on the cheek.

I'll admit it: I blushed.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think I'm ready," I said, taking his hand. I sent Tia (Tatiana's nickname for years now) a quick text, asking her to meet me at the bowling alley. I knew I couldn't explain Seth to her in a text message.

Seth and I stepped outside and into a downpour.

"Aw, crap, I forgot a jacket," Seth muttered.

"You need one? I thought shapeshifters ran at a super high body temperature," I said, confused.

"What? No, I don't, but you do!"

"Um, no, I don't."

"You don't?"

"Nope."

Seth stared at me.

"Yeah, haven't we gone over this before?" I asked with a smile.

"Right, weather like this makes you happy," Seth said. Good, he's learning.

"So, you wanna dance?" I asked.

"What?"

"Haven't you ever danced in the rain?" I asked with a sigh.

"Not really."

"Well, the bowling alley is two hundred feet away, and I figured we could make it fun," I explained my reasoning.

Seth looked at me, then the rain, then back at me, and said, "Why not?"

I pushed Seth into the storm and ran after him, spinning and twirling and having a great time. Eventually, Seth started spinning with me. We clumsily danced our way back to the bowling alley, and I couldn't stop laughing. I think Seth enjoyed it, too.

By the time we reached the front entrance of the bowling alley, our group was in the doorway waiting for us.

"Nessie!" I cried out, and ran to give her a hug. She screeched.

"Jez, you're soaking wet!" she complained. I could practically hear Jake grinding his teeth.

"You still love me," I said.

"True," she giggled. "Right, introductions! Jez, this is Embry, Quil, and Claire. You already know Jake."

I saw Jake glaring at me and smiled. "Yeah, we've met."

"Everyone, this is Jezebel, Seth's imprint!" Nessie introduced me, completely oblivious to her wolf's obvious hate for me.

I know I made Seth's life a living hell for a while, but the whole I'm-an-Alpha-and-I-protect-my-pack-no-matter-what thing is getting really annoying, really fast. Why did males have to have so much testosterone?

"Seth imprinted on Artemis?" the ten-year-old Claire gasped. I recognized her as the little girl I met on First Beach during my first visit here.

"Uh… Artemis?" Quil asked, looking very confused.

"I told you, Quil! The girl I met at the beach, I told you she was too pretty to be human, but she wasn't a vampire, either, so she must be a goddess! She has reddish brown hair and green eyes, just like the Greek goddess of the Hunt, Artemis!" Claire explained to her floundering soul mate.

Goddess, I adore this little girl.

"Uh, sure thing, Claire-bear," Quil said. Bad recovery.

"Are you even paying attention to what I'm saying? And I told you to stop calling me that!" Claire's voice was increasing in volume, and some of the other people in the bowling alley were starting to look at us.

"Don't worry, Claire, I remember you," I told her. "But I'm not a goddess; I'm a witch."

"Oh, okay!" Claire said, a smile once again on her face. Well, she's easy to please…

"Alright, let's go get paid and everything," I said. "I'll pay for everything but food; my treat, 'kay?"

"Sounds good to me!" Quil agreed enthusiastically. Embry gave me a shy smile, and Claire gave me a quick hug. They ran off to get their shoes.

"You can't buy their friendship, you know," Jake muttered in my ear.

"Who said I was trying to? Maybe you just read me wrong," I replied silkily. I could almost hear him growling.

"Sugar, to be perfectly honest, you annoy me to tears, but we have Seth and Nessie to think about," I continued, "so let's try to get along."

"Fine," Jake growled. "For Nessie. And for Seth."

"Good. Because I'm paying for you, too," I said, then headed for the front counter.

I gave the acne-ridden teen at the front desk a big smile and paid for everything. I love credit cards…

Claire was happily trying to find a bowling ball that wasn't too heavy for her while everyone else picked a seat around our lanes. I smiled widely. I'd never been bowling before, or gone out with friends, so this was a completely new experience for me. Seth gave me a smile from his seat next to Embry, and I couldn't help but feel excited. This was going to be a good night.

The door to the alley opened again, and my smile got wider. Tia walked in, looking like the African princess she was. She was half-African and half-French, so her skin was a beautiful light brown that practically shone. Her hair was pitch-black with a blue sheen to it, and she had wide, dark, almond-shaped eyes. Her full lips spread into a smile as she approached our little group.

"Tia's here," I told my new friends, and everyone turned to stare.

Especially Embry. Embry looked… like he had found the center of his world.

"Aw, fuck my life," I muttered.

* * *

**So, not my best work, but the next few chapters have good action and drama in them, so don't lose faith! Please review!**


	10. Place Where I Belong

**So, I just partied my pants off the past two weekends, and I've been searching for a new job during the week. Cut me a little slack for updating so slowly guys.**

**Two things this time: One, the past life flashback at the end of the chapter is in no way, shape, or form based on actual British history. It's something I completely made up. The next flashback will be based on historical fact. Two, the poll for my next story is up, so go to my profile to check it out and vote please!**

**That is all. Read on!**

* * *

Jez's POV

Embry just imprinted on Tia. This is… well, I don't know if this is going to be a good thing or a bad thing. But knowing our luck, it's going to be a bad thing.

"Tia!" I cried out and hugged her, giving Embry a chance to rearrange his face into a less-disturbing expression. "It's so good to see you again."

"It's good to see you doing so well, Jez. I'm… surprised to see you with… such company," Tia stated carefully, staring at the four males that were watching our conversation closely.

"Chill, Tia, they know what we are," I said brusquely, rolling my eyes. "This is Renesmee, but we all call her Nessie. I'm training her."

Tia interrupted me. "You took on an initiate? I thought you never wanted to train anyone."

"I made an exception for Nessie. And teaching isn't as tedious as I thought it would be," I laughed. "Nessie isn't exactly a normal girl."

"So I see," Tia said, her eyes widening as she examined Nessie's more unique features.

"Yeah, it's complicated," I said, turning to the guys. "And these are our boys. Yes, they are shapeshifters. Get over it, sugar. That big one there is the Alpha, Jake. He's Nessie's wolf. Those two are Quil and Claire. This is Seth, my wolf, and that's Embry."

"So Embry is the only one without a female holding the leash, huh?" Tia asked politely.

"Nope," I said brightly, looking between Tia and Embry as comprehension dawned on Tia's face.

"You must be joking," Tia moaned.

"Sorry," I said happily. I wasn't sorry at all. Tia was an incredibly gifted healer that lived alone in Port Angeles. Solitary witches aren't uncommon, but healers are most likely to push themselves too far in their Craft, and usually have a companion to look after them. Tia needed someone to look after her.

"Um…" Embry shifted from foot to foot, clearly unsure of how to comfort his imprint without distressing her even more. Smart kid, to have noticed that so quickly.

"Tia, chill. You're freaking poor Embry out," I said lightly. After what I put Seth through, I was feeling a little more sympathetic to the boys.

"Oh, _I'm_ freaking _him_ out?" Oh, and Tia is quiet and shy most of the time, but the girl has a wicked temper when you piss her off. I love her for that.

"Yes. Your distress is his distress now," I explained simply.

"Fantastic. So, who wants to explain all of this to me?"

* * *

"_There's a place downtown,  
__Where the freaks all come around  
__It's a hole in the wall,  
__It's a dirty free-for-all_

_And they  
__Turn me on  
__When they  
__Take it off  
__When they  
__Take it off  
__Everybody take it off!"_

Nessie, Tia, and I were dancing around the bowling alley, singing at the top of our lungs. It was the perfect strategy: distract the boys with our amazing voices and dance moves, and kick their asses in the game. It was girls versus boys, and the girls are going to win. By over a hundred points. Is it overkill? Yes. Is it fun as hell? Oh yeah.

Seth was up next, so I put my hips into the moves and belted it out. Nessie and Tia stepped back for my solo.

"_There's a place I know,  
__If you're looking for a show  
__Where they go hardcore,  
__And there's glitter on the floor_

_And they  
__Turn me on  
__When they  
__Take it off  
__When they  
__Take it off  
__Everybody take it off!"_

As soon as Seth let the ball go, I pulled him into my dizzying dance so he wouldn't see the gutter ball he just threw. He was smiling and laughing along with me, so I'm beginning to think he just doesn't care.

"Jeez, you guys cheat hard," Quil muttered.

"It's not cheating when girls do it," Claire insisted. I couldn't help but laugh. That girl was so damn cute when she treated Quil like crap.

Seth clumsily spun us back to the benches, where he sat down and pulled me onto his lap. I shrugged and just went with it, and snuggled into him. He was so damn _warm_… how did I live without this for so long?

"You know what?" Tia said from her place on Embry's lap. After the first awkward hour, she really started to warm up to him. "I think I'm going to move to Forks. It's kind of lonely here. And we could make a legitimate coven."

I perked up. "You, me, and Nessie? Sounds like the perfect coven to me."

"Coven?" Claire asked, curiosity glittering in her eyes. She's just so damn _cute_…

"Yes. A Circle is a large group of witches, normally numbering in the hundreds. A coven is a very small group, ranging from three to thirteen witches. Vampires took the term 'coven' for their small groups from us," I explained.

"I'm in," Nessie said.

"Then we'll do the ceremony… tomorrow?" I suggested. My future coven nodded their consent.

When did my circle of loved ones get so big? I had Seth, his pack, and now my coven. I wasn't used to so many people meaning so much to me.

"We should probably get going soon," Nessie said sadly.

"Why's that?" Jake asked, looking a little miffed. I guess anything that made Nessie even slightly upset was dirt in his book.

"I think the owner wants to close up for the night," Nessie giggled at Jake's expression. "It's almost two in the morning."

"Wow, has it really been that long since we got here?" Embry wondered aloud. "We should probably get home."

"Yeah. I'm driving!" I said before Seth could protest. I could see he wanted to say something, but he didn't. Maybe I could kill two birds with one stone here…

"Hey Jake, why don't you and Nessie drive home with us? The Rabbit must have been pretty cramped on the way here," I said.

"Uh, sure," Jake said slowly. He still didn't trust me, which I don't really blame him for. But here's hoping we can build a little trust… with bribery.

We turned in our shoes and headed for the parking lot. Embry, Quil, and Claire would take the Rabbit and drop Tia off. Seth and I led Jake and Nessie to the diner where my Mustang was still parked. I could almost see Jake salivating over my amazing car. And now, for the bribery…

"Hey, Jake? Seth doesn't really like how fast I drive, and I can't stand driving the speed limit. Would you mind driving?" I asked as nicely as I could manage.

Jake's eyes lit up with pure, unadulterated joy. "Sure, I think I can manage that," he replied smoothly. But he couldn't hide his smile when I handed him the keys.

"By the way, if there's so much as a scratch on it when we get home, I'm taking it out of your ass," I couldn't help but add menacingly.

"Sure, sure."

* * *

It was a harrowing trip home (I could have sworn Jake was trying to crash my poor Mustang the whole way home), but finally we dropped Jake and Nessie off at the Cullen house and headed back to my place.

Seth decided to stay with me tonight, and I couldn't have been happier. Instead of sleeping in my bed (which would have been _way_ too tempting), we slept underneath the willow tree in my garden. He was so warm, I didn't even notice the cold night air.

* * *

Seth's POV

_I stood on the edge of the royal garden, waiting for Victoria to finish chatting with the other ladies of the court. It was a cold winter day, and I was grateful for my wool soldier's uniform. Victoria had to be freezing in that dress, so I knew I wouldn't be out here much longer. The court ladies liked to stare at me a little too long, if you get my drift._

"_Jonathan! Are you ready to leave?" Victoria glided over to me with a smile. Even with that ridiculously frothy dress and sausage curls in her dark brown hair, she still looked beautiful._

"_Of course, Princess," I answered, and we started walking back to the palace._

"_How many times do I have to tell you, John? Just call me Tori," she insisted, but unlike her, I knew my place in Buckingham Palace._

"_For the last time, I can't. You are Her Royal Highness, Princess Victoria, second in line for the throne. I'm a soldier, a guard in times of peace. It isn't proper for me to address you so informally," I explained to her for what seemed like the thousandth time. I wanted to call her Tori, very badly, but I knew my feelings for her were pointless._

"_How many times do I have to explain to you that I don't care?" she said fervently. "We can talk to my parents, explain –"_

"_Explain what? That you're in love with a soldier?" I interrupted. "They can't have a commoner in the family, let alone one who could possibly hold the throne!"_

"_There is nothing common about you, Jonathan Barrington," she said simply, and continued walking._

* * *

"_John!" I heard Tori scream my name again as I ran faster through the chaotic halls of the palace. The shattered pieces of priceless antiques littered the ground, courtesy of the assassins that had broken in just minutes ago._

_They had planned their attack well – Tori's parents, the king and queen, were already dead. Her elder brother Henry was dead as well. We had barely saved her younger brother Edward. Now I just needed to save Tori._

_I burst into her room to see Tori holding a wooden chair between her and her attacker's machete. I roared in rage as I charged him, my knife in hand. We fell to the floor, wrestling for control. I felt his body twitch when my knife finally found its mark. I tried to keep my body in between Tori and the corpse, so she wouldn't see the assassin's blood pouring out of the fatal wound on his torso._

"_Is he dead?" Tori whispered, huddled in her robe._

"_Yes," I answered. She threw herself into my arms and started bawling. I held her while she cried, knowing this was something I should have protected her from._

"_Tori!"_

_Edward and a few of the guards burst into the room, ready for a fight. They slowly lowered their weapons when they saw me and Tori._

"_Is she alright?" Edward asked, kneeling down by her side._

"_Fine. I'm fine," Tori insisted, pulling away from me to hug her brother. "Where are Mom and Dad? And Henry?"_

"_We're… we're the only ones who survived, Tori," Edward said quietly._

"_They're dead?" Tori whispered, and I knew what was coming next. Tori was older than Edward, which meant she would be crowned Queen of England tomorrow morning. My heart ached, knowing she never wanted to rule._

"_So… I'm the queen now?" she whispered in a tortured voice._

"_I'm afraid so, Tori," Edward said sadly._

_She didn't answer for a moment. She had that calculating look on her face, the one that meant I would get into a lot of trouble doing whatever she had planned when we were younger._

"_Edward, do you want to be king?" Tori asked simply._

"_What?" I gasped._

"_I – uh, yes, you know I do," Edward answered, looking as confused as I felt._

"_Then tell the public that I died too tonight. I'll disappear, and I'll never have to be queen!" Tori exclaimed. "John, don't you see? If I'm not royalty, I can marry you! We'll go to America, leave this place behind. I don't want to be Queen Victoria; I want to be Victoria Barrington!"_

"_Do it," Edward said quietly. "You don't want to rule, you've hated this place your whole life. I want to be king, I always have. John, I won't let her go alone, though."_

"_You would… leave your whole life behind to marry me?" I asked her fervently. I could see it, our lives together in America… "That means no more wealth, no more prestige, none of the things you're used to."_

"_I can't wait," Tori said excitedly, and she kissed me._

I woke from the dream – or, past life… memory… thing… – in Jez's garden, her sleeping form still cuddled by my side.

Life was good.

* * *

**So, I gave a happy, non-cliffhanger ending for once. I figured you guys deserve a break every now and then. The problem is, people review less when there is no cliffhanger, and I like reviews. So if I get plenty of reviews for this chapter, I won't leave so many cliffhangers. Please, vote in my poll for my next story and review! Love you all!**


	11. The Troubles of a Coven

**Hey, this isn't completely late! To be perfectly honest, I don't know if this is late or not. I completely lost track of the days I've updated. School started this week, and this semester is a doozy, so I'll try my best, but I am making no promises. Except I will not forget this story. It just might take a while to finish.**

**So, reviews for last chapter was pathetically low, so I guess you guys like cliffhangers. I left you a big one this chapter, so I hope you're happy with your decision! Please review and vote in the poll! Read on!**

* * *

Jez's POV

"Yes, yes, I know. Weird, isn't it? We don't look anything alike, yet we're cousins. Just sign here, right? Then I'm all registered and everything?"

I could hear Tia talking to Mrs. Cope in the front office, trying to deal with all of the red tape usually associated with the public school system. We came prepared, of course, with all of the forged documents Tia could possibly need. Tia also became my 'cousin', so people wouldn't wonder why we knew one another so well.

I stood just outside the office with Nessie so the three of us could go to our first class together. Showing solidarity was important, even among the humans. Some of the more – how shall we say it – _intensely stupid_ humans were still giving Nessie problems when I wasn't around.

"Auntie Alice was on edge this morning, and Daddy seemed a little upset, too. They wouldn't tell me why, so I think we should be on our toes. They only get like this when the Volturi are involved," Nessie said quietly.

I nodded to show her I heard. At that moment, Tia joined us.

"She was nice, but I don't think she liked me very much," Tia commented as we headed to class. Tia's schedule was identical to Nessie's (yes, I invaded Mrs. Cope's mind and made her give Tia the same schedule – I'm worried about my Sister!), so the mortal idiots couldn't catch Nessie alone if they tried.

"Here's a secret," I laughed. "People here don't like me, the staff included. They actually can't stand me because I don't put up with their shit. Therefore, they don't like anyone associated with me. Get used to it, sugar."

"Jez, you have got to learn how to get along with humans," Tia giggled.

"Hey, I'm getting along with you two, _and_ the wolves. I'm doing pretty damn good compared to how I used to be," I insisted.

Nessie's hand brushed against my shoulder, showing me a picture of last Wednesday, when I literally snarled at a boy teasing her and sweetly told him I would shove a lead pipe up his ass if he ever talked to Nessie again.

"Even if you don't appreciate my protective instincts, I'm fairly certain your family and Jake do."

"I know… oh, and I talked to my parents. They said it would be okay for me to spend the night at your house tonight," Nessie said excitedly.

"Wonderful! Tonight is a waxing crescent moon, which is ideal for creating or building something – like a coven," Tia whispered eagerly as we started passing other students in the halls.

"It's almost like Nessie's parents knew," I teased lightly. Nessie had been mortified when her parents wouldn't let her come over yesterday, claiming she needed to spend more time with her family.

"Shut up," Nessie mumbled.

School was slightly less boring today, since Tia's arrival had the humans all shaken up. Especially when she announced she was my cousin. Their expressions were _hilarious_.

Lunch was even more exciting since no one came within thirty feet of our table. Everyone passed it quickly, refusing to look our way. Yet once they passed, they couldn't take their eyes off us… humans are so simple. We witches were beautiful and exciting, everything these creatures lacked in their small-town life.

Once school was over, we rushed to my car and raced home (I showed them what my car could _really_ do).

I already had all of our supplies in the living room, so now we just had to wait for midnight. We passed the time with Nessie's first lesson in healing magic – it clearly wasn't her calling, but she was already better at it than I was. Dinner was a quiet affair, nothing special. None of us were good cooks. Personally, I burn everything I touch. Takeout was my best friend.

"It's after eleven o'clock, should we start setting up?" Nessie asked eagerly.

"Let's get started. Nessie, pay close attention. This is how you cast a circle," I said.

We started with four candles, one blue, one green, one red, and one yellow for the four elements. We placed them in a large circle in my backyard, at each of the four cardinal points. Nessie and Tia stepped inside the circle while I poured a circle of salt, connecting the four candles. I stepped inside before closing it behind me.

I stood behind the yellow candle first, and pointed my athame (a dagger used for magickal purposes) to the East. "Guardians of the East, powers of Air, protect and guide us!" I called out.

I moved to the red candle, and pointed the athame to the South and called, "Guardians of the South, powers of Fire, protect and guide us!"

I did the same to the blue candle, calling "Guardians of the West, powers of Water, protect and guide us!"

The green candle was last. I called, "Guardians of the North, powers of Earth, protect and guide us!"

I moved to the center of the circle, where Nessie and Tia waited for me. We joined hands and raised them above our heads.

"Sisters, tonight we join hands as more than witches. We are joining together as a coven, a single unit, to share our knowledge and our power. May the Goddess bless our union as Sisters of the Moon," I called out, my voice clear and strong.

I felt my power thrum to life, and everything around me was suddenly clearer. I could feel the power in the wind, in the flickering candles, in my two Sisters. Our power flowed through our hands and into one another, forging a powerful bond. We were a coven now.

"Blessed be, Sisters. Welcome to the coven," I said happily.

"Sister Jezebel, may I speak?" Tia asked quietly.

"Of course," I replied, not entirely sure what she wanted.

"Will you serve as our High Priestess, to lead us and teach us?"

I froze. Of course we would need a High Priestess, if just to lead rituals and ceremonies. But from the looks on their faces, they wanted a High Priestess in the truest sense. To lead and teach, huh?

"I will," I answered confidently.

"Blessed be, Sisters," Nessie said with a smile.

"Blessed be," Tia and I answered.

* * *

After closing the circle last night, we shared my king-sized canopy bed and fell asleep. Tia is a fitful sleeper, constantly moving and mumbling. Nessie slept like a corpse. I checked her pulse twice last night to make sure she wasn't dead. I laid awake for about an hour after they passed out, reveling in the feeling of belonging in a coven. They were my true family now, and it felt so good.

The next morning, we got up bright and early for school. Somehow, we weren't that grumpy. The excitement of last night had lasted well into the morning. The car ride was a blast as we sang a bunch of awesome eighties songs (think Journey, Queen, Van Halen, that sort of thing).

In school, we couldn't stop smiling. We shared a secret, a bond that the people around us would never know.

Towards the end of third period, though, my high ended as a shiver ran down my spine. Something was about to happen, something bad. I grabbed my bag, mumbled a quick "I'm going to the bathroom" to the teacher, and ran for the little girls' room.

I locked myself in a stall, and let out a psychic probe. There was nothing inside the school that shouldn't be there. I extended the probe, and my heart iced over.

Vampires.

There were four of them, menacing minds that were almost painful to touch. These weren't the Cullens. They were probably the Volturi. They… could they be here for Nessie?

I burst out of the stall and into the hallway, where students were swarming to get to their next class. I headed to my fourth period, thanking the Goddess that it was a class I shared with Nessie and Tia. I walked as calmly as I could to class.

As soon as I entered the classroom, Nessie and Tia could see something was wrong. Unfortunately, the teacher was right behind me, so I had to stay silent as I took my seat behind them. I casually brushed my hand against Nessie's back and showed her what I sensed. Her back tensed instantly, and I saw her right hand twitch towards her phone. Of course she wanted to text her family and Jake.

I completely ignored the teacher, focusing instead on the four vampires making their way towards the school. They were inside the school grounds now…

Fifteen minutes later, one of the student helpers from the office came into the classroom.

"Um, Nessie Cullen? Your cousins are here to pick you up," she said nervously. "They're, uh, waiting for you in the office."

She left quickly, and I couldn't breathe. Nessie stood up, and my decision was final: she wasn't going alone.

I stood up, too, linked my arm through Nessie's arm roughly, and said, "Well, it's about time! Let's get going Nessie, they're waiting for us!"

I practically dragged her out the door, and pulled her towards the parking lot – and the forest.

"Jez, what are you doing? They're here for me, they don't even know you exist!" Nessie protested, starting to pull against me.

"Sugar, don't bother. You're my Sister now, and I will not let them do _anything_ to you. Especially taking you away from your family, or killing you outright," I snarled. "Text your dad, now, and let him know what's going on. Text Jake, too."

Nessie hesitated for a moment, then said, "Fine."

She pulled out her phone and started texting. I loosened my grip as we rushed outside. Once we were outside, we broke out into a full run. Adrenaline was pulsing in me, followed quickly by magic. I pulled magic from the forest around us into myself, powering up for what was going to be one hell of a fight.

Nessie's phone started ringing, and she answered it immediately. "Daddy! The Volturi are at my school, Jez and I are hiding in the forest, please hurry!" she screeched.

I pulled the phone out of her hand. "Hurry the hell up, Eddie, I can't hold off four of them! Follow the mind that's shouting, 'Hurry the hell up, Eddie!' And bring Carlisle, 'cause this is _not_ going to end well!"

I hung up and Nessie snatched it back, probably to text Jake. It didn't matter, because I could sense the Volturi closing in on us. A psychic probe was feeling around for our psychic scent, so Demetri was with them. Our minds were blocked, but they would be able to follow our physical scent. A shield to block us from the vampires' senses wouldn't do any good, it was too late. They already knew exactly where we were. Nessie wasn't a fighter, so I was on my own.

I rummaged through my bag, knowing our only chance was a tiny vial of clear, thick liquid – my weapon against vampires.

The four guards slowly came into sight, Demetri in the lead. He had a lazy smile on his face. He probably thought this was going to be easy.

"Hurry up, sugar. Unlike you, _I'm_ getting older," I smirked. If he heard me, he didn't show it. Of course, that line was just for show. I _wasn't_ getting older, but _he_ couldn't know that.

This fight was going to kill me, but I wouldn't be the only one leaving this world.

* * *

**So, giant fight, and Jez might just die. No, I am NOT afraid of killing off my characters, so review if you want Jez to live! And if you vote in my poll too, I'll try to minimize the serious injuries.**

**Let me know what you guys think, because response to this story has been lukewarm at best, so I need to know if I should bother finishing it or just move on to a new story. I need feedback, people! If you don't know what to write, answer these questions: What did you like best? What did you like the least? What do you think I should do to improve the story? See, I made it super easy for you. Please review!**


	12. Not Going Down Without a Fight

**Holy freaking crap! This story reached 100 reviews! I'm so effing excited, I don't know what to do with myself. Now, I know it's been a while since I updated that last doozy of a chapter, but it took a while to write this chapter. I was having terrible writer's block, but yesterday I kicked that block in the ass. And as a reward for so many reviews and reaching that 100 milestone, I wrote over three thousand words for this chapter. For comparison, I usually write two thousand.**

**You guys are amazing! Read, review, and vote in my poll for my next project please!**

* * *

Jez's POV

I was pissed off. No, I was beyond pissed; I was infuriated. Damned leeches…

Demetri and the other bastards continued towards me, but Felix started edging towards my left. Was the fucker actually trying to _flank_ me?

The potion took effect quickly. I felt my heartbeat slow… my skin harden… my limbs become lighter, stronger…

My heart stopped beating.

My skin began to glitter like a million diamonds.

The potion I took turned me into a vampire.

"Nessie," I said in a clear, bell-like voice that made me grind my teeth. "Get back."

The dumbass leeches froze. So, they weren't completely retarded…

I started going through songs in my head to mentally kick their asses to… "Stronger" by Daft Punk? No… "Burn It to the Ground" by Nickleback? Closer… "You're Going Down" by Sick Puppies? _Perfect_.

Too perfect to just have in my head. "Hey Nessie, play 'You're Going Down' for me, will you?"

"S-sure," she whispered.

The bass line started playing as the Volturi stooges got over their shock. This was one hell of a way to die…

Demetri started the attack with a frontal assault that was easy enough to dodge. Felix came at me from the left, and he got my foot in his face.

My moves were choreographed to the music, as I swung, ducked, dodged, kicked, punched, and generally beat their asses into a pulp.

"_Define your meaning of war,  
To me it's what we do when we're bored.  
I feel the heat comin' off of the blacktop,  
And it makes me want it more.  
Because I'm hyped up out of control,  
If it's a fight, I'm ready to go.  
I wouldn't put my money on the other guy,  
If you know what I know that I know."_

The first vampire died right after the first verse, when I ripped off both of his arms and hit him upside his skull with them so hard, his head went flying. Yeah, I just decapitated a guy with his own arms. I am a badass.

"_It's been a long time coming,  
And the table's turned around,  
'Cause one of us is going,  
One of us is going down.  
I'm not running,  
It's a little different now,  
'Cause one of us is going,  
One of us is going down."_

Felix relied too much on his size – it was easy to dodge his attacks. The other anonymous vamp died when my upper-cut punch drilled right through his chin and shattered his jaw… and his skull.

Demetri was the best fighter, and the biggest threat. He used Felix as a distraction to try and get an opening.

"_This is hardly worth fighting for,  
But it's the little petty shit that I can't ignore,  
When my fist hits your face and your face hits the floor,"_

But Felix got careless… and my fist hit his face, and his face shattered.

"_It'll be a long time coming,  
Bet you got the message now.  
'Cause I was never going,  
Yeah, you're the one that's going down."_

Demetri stepped up his game. His fists came faster, his moves more precise, more deadly.

I slipped my foot behind his heel, pulling forward ever so slightly – just enough to knock him off balance. I threw a punch at him, and he fell back to dodge. I pulled my foot back – the one that was still behind his heel, and he fell onto his back. I drove my foot right through his neck.

"Nessie, conjure some witchfire and burn those fuckers for me, would you?" I asked as I dragged my feet back to her. The potions effects were wearing off. The pain would start soon.

"JEZEBEL!" Seth's voice thundered through the clearing, and I couldn't help but look at his terrified face and smile. I was able to finish the Volturi off before he got here, so he was never in any danger.

He started running towards me, but my legs wouldn't hold me up anymore. I collapsed to the ground. I heard more people entering the clearing, but I couldn't focus. My limbs started burning. My bones soon felt like fire, and my muscles like acid. The sun above me was like two daggers in my eyes, and the world was blurry.

I felt ice cold hands on my shoulder, and it took everything I had not to scream.

"Tia…" I tried to say, but I don't know if my words were heard. If anyone knew how to save me now, it was Tia.

"Seth, get over here!" Tia's voice shouted loud enough for even me to hear. Something garbled above me, but it was too low and fuzzy for me to decipher.

"Because Jez won't die if Seth is here," Tia said clearly. "She won't leave him."

A warm hand wrapped around mine, and the pain lessened a little. "I'm here, Jezzie. I'm right here, don't leave me," I heard Seth's voice clear and strong.

With that knowledge, I withdrew into myself for the coming battle for my life.

* * *

Seth's POV

You know, these dream-flashback things are really starting to get annoying. I mean, I'm lying here in the Cullens' house, sprawled on a couch, waiting for Tia and Carlisle to tell me my reason for existence was going to live or not. I fell asleep, and suddenly, I'm in ancient China.

"_Good news, my lord!" an attendant cried as he rushed into the room and threw himself at my feet. "The Tu-Fang have fallen in battle!"_

"_Of course they have," I answered. "Fu Hao is unparalleled. When she reaches the palace, send her to me immediately."_

_The servant nodded vigorously and scampered off._

_The room I called my throne room was lavish, decorated with gold, bronze, and jade. Red drapes, delicate tapestries, the whole works. I was seated on a pile of cushions, my back ramrod straight. My dearest wife was finally home._

"_My lord, you could not wait for me to change into proper attire? My uniform is hardly becoming," my beautiful wife, Fu Hao, said humorously as she entered the room with a low bow._

"_I wanted to see you immediately, my love," I replied happily. She was so beautiful… she was one of many wives I possessed, but she was beyond those simpering idiots. She was more than beautiful, she was intelligent, daring, tenacious, and one of the greatest generals in my army. No, __**the**__ greatest. Her skills were unmatched by any man in China._

"_Come, my darling," I said, rising from my seat and taking her hand. "We will have a great banquet to celebrate your victory. The Tu-Fang have held out against us for so long, and you have finally brought them defeat. I love you."_

"_And I love you. Come, my lord, my love, it is time to feast and celebrate!" she laughed as we ran out of the room like fools, calling for servants and attendants and whoever else we could think of._

"Seth! SETH! Wake up!" someone was yelling at me. A fist landed in my stomach, and I was wide awake from my dream/vision/flashback.

"Dude, you guys suck," I muttered. Looking around the room, I remembered why I was at the Cullens. Jezzie…

"Tia and Carlisle are coming down," Jake said quietly. "I thought you would want to hear this."

"I don't know if I do," I whispered.

Before Jake could console me, Tia and Carlisle descended down the staircase. Their faces were grim, but they didn't look sad. What was I supposed to get from that?

"She's alive," Tia said succinctly. I heaved a huge sigh of relief. Alive!

"I've never seen anything like that before," Carlisle said. "Her will to live is astounding."

"Now, we need to discuss how to help her get better, because Jez is still asleep, and I do _not_ want her awake for this," Tia said firmly. "Now, all of you vampires, stay out. Carlisle and Esme, you're the only ones I don't permanently bar from that room."

"Aw, come on!" Emmett protested. "This chick sounds badass! I want to meet her!"

Both Rosalie and Tia glared at him.

"Trust me, you don't want to surprise her. She's completely out of it right now, but she was given the best training the Shadow Circle could give – and that's a lot. If she senses a vampire in the room, she won't pause to think, 'Is this a good vampire or a bad vampire?', she's just going to rip your face off," Tia snarled.

"Tatianna, please continue with the instructions," Carlisle requested in a low voice.

"Please, just call me Tia," she replied. She gave one more glare to Emmett before she continued.

"Alright, second of all, go shopping and get food now. When Jez wakes up, she is going to be ravenous, and I wouldn't put it past her to resort to cannibalism."

"Why have I not met this chick yet?" Emmett complained loudly. "I mean, seriously! She sounds like a total bamf!"

"A _what_?" Rosalie snarled.

"A bamf! You know, stands for Bad Ass Mother Fucker!" Emmett explained.

Rosalie sighed and left the room.

"Aw, Rosie! Don't be that way!" Emmett called to her, but he remained in his seat.

"_Moving on_," Tia hissed. She was getting really sick of Emmett's interruptions. "Seth, I suggest you go upstairs and sit with her. _Do not touch her_. Just sit next to her."

I didn't bother waiting around for the rest of the instructions. I hopped up and ran up the steps like my life depended on it. Which it did, in a way.

"Thanks, Tia!" I called over my shoulder. I wound my way through the upstairs until I found Carlisle's study, with Jez lying silently on a gurney. She looked so pale and thin… I wasn't used to seeing her this weak.

I picked up a chair and brought it over to her side, by her head. I plunked it down and sat, watching my imprint's motionless face as she slowly breathed.

"I'm right here, Jezzie," I murmured softly to her, hoping she could hear me, wherever she was. "I'm here, and I'm never leaving you. Take your time and heal; I'll be right here waiting for you."

* * *

Jez's POV

"Owww," I muttered. The sunlight was too bright in my eyes, so I kept them shut. Goddess, what did I do to myself to make my entire body hurt like this? Oh, right… fighting vampires. That Demetri was vicious; I hadn't had a fight like that in years…

"Jezzie?" a voice that sounded like home asked hopefully.

"When did you start calling me 'Jezzie'?" I asked lightly.

"Well, I didn't think you would like a pet name very much, but I wanted to call you something that no one else used, so… 'Jezzie'," Seth answered. I could feel his body move as he shrugged.

"I guess it works," I said happily. I was just happy to still be alive. Which reminds me… "Hey, Seth? How am I not dead?"

"Tia and Carlisle joined forces to keep you around," he said, avoiding the term _prevent you from dying_. There's only so much talk about your other half dying that one person can take. Trust me, I know.

"Awesome. So, I'm starving. Do we have food?" I asked pointedly.

"Yep. Now that you're awake, Tia is probably having someone make something up for you right now," he said, clearly amused.

I slowly cracked my eyes open to see Seth's smiling face staring back at me. A girl could get used to this…

"Morning, Jez!" someone yelled before they burst through the door. I was about to blast him to hell for ruining my moment with Seth, but the annoying vampire had a bunch of fruits piled high on a plate. If he was bringing me food, he was okay in my book.

"Hi, I'm Emmett, and this is the food Tia made me bring up here since I wanted to meet you, and she wouldn't let me come bother you for nothing!" the vampire said happily. He had a huge, boyish grin on his face, with a ready-for-trouble gleam in his eyes. I liked the idiot already.

Emmett brought a collapsible table out and set it on my side opposite of Seth. He left the delicacies next to me and said, "Don't worry. This is just to tide you over until the meat is done cooking. According to Nessie and the wolves, the steak Bella is cooking up for you is awesome."

My mouth watered at the very thought of steak. I dug into my fruit first though, because I was just that hungry. I devoured an apple first, then moved onto various other things I didn't have time to name before they were gone.

"Wow, you were really hungry," Seth commented as he watched me demolish the fruits. "That makes sense, I guess, since you've been out for a couple days."

"Couple?" I tried to form the word around a mouthful of pineapple, but from Seth's confused face, it wasn't working.

"Yeah, about two days. Why? Is that a bad thing?"

I shook my head. It wasn't a bad thing… yet. The Goddess only knew how much time we had left together. The thought was like a little hourglass in my mind, and each day that passed was another day closer to our deaths.

"Seth? We gotta get going," Jake said from the open doorway. I glared at him while I nibbled on a grape.

"Oh, yeah. I'll be down in a sec," Seth replied, and my glare intensified. Jake glared at me in return before he walked away.

"Sorry, Jezzie, but we really need to go talk to Sam and the other pack about the Volturi trying to take Nessie out from under our noses like that," Seth said sadly at first, but then his tone lightened considerably. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon. I'll be gone an hour tops."

"Fine," I muttered. Seth has an excellent puppy-dog face that had perfect proportions of woefully sad and adorably optimistic.

He gave me a soft kiss farewell, and he was gone.

I was instantly lonely. The fruit just didn't taste good anymore, either. How long did Tia say I was confined here for?

"Ready to punch a wall?" Nessie asked humorously from the doorway, the same place where Jake had been not two minutes ago.

"Oh yeah," I responded instantly. Punching a wall – hell, punching anything – sounded really good right now.

"Too bad," Nessie said happily. "But, I can help you hobble downstairs to get some steak if you like."

"I'd like to see you try and leave this room without me," I said excitedly. Ripping my teeth into a thick steak sounded _amazing_ right now. I jumped off the bed, and quickly realized I was weaker than I thought. Nessie rushed over and caught me before my legs collapsed underneath me.

"Take it easy, you idiot. I don't want to explain to Seth why you have new bruises," Nessie said lightly enough, but the hardness in her eyes said I better not push myself physically for now. She helped me hobble down the stairs (which seriously pissed me off – if she let me use my powers, I could have just floated myself down) and into the kitchen, where Esme was pulling a giant T-bone steak out of the oven.

"Dibs," I said instantly.

Esme laughed. "Don't worry, you don't have to fight the boys over it."

"Good, because they'd lose," I said succinctly, and when she placed the steak in front of me, I tore into it with the knife and fork like a fat kid tears into a triple-decker, home-made cake with chocolate frosting.

"Nessie, dear, Edward would like to talk to you in the front room," Esme said quietly.

"Great… I'll be right back, Jez," Nessie growled as she left the room. Esme took the seat next to me, and I gave her a questioning look. I figured she wouldn't appreciate me asking aloud with a mouthful of half-chewed steak.

"Edward is very nervous about Nessie's safety now," Esme explained quietly. "If you hadn't been with Nessie, it would have been hours before we realized she was gone. He's telling her about the new rules he's initiating until we understand the situation better."

I swallowed my current bite so I could say, "Probably unnecessary. As long as she stays at school or home, she won't be alone. Tia and I can protect her well enough now that we know there's a threat."

Esme shook her head. "That may be enough for the rest of us, but not Edward. He's more than over-protective of her, especially when it comes to the Volturi."

"Ah. He's a typical, stubborn male," I summed up.

Esme let out a giggle. "In a way, yes. I – are you done with that steak already?"

I looked at my empty plate." Uh, yeah. I was starving. It was delicious, by the way."

"Thank Bella, not me. My experience with cooking meat is abysmal. Bella seems to be the only one who can do it right. Are you still hungry?" Esme asked.

"Yeah, but I should finish the fruit before I get another steak."

"That would be the healthy choice," Esme laughed lightly.

I couldn't help but giggle a little myself. Esme was definitely the mothering type. I picked up my dishes and took them to the sink. Before I could walk back to the table, though, a piercing pain stabbed at my skull.

The pain was worse than the aftereffects of the vampire potion. I dropped to my knees, clutching my temples, praying to the Goddess that it would stop. I vaguely heard Esme calling to me, but I couldn't make out the words.

A million knives were stabbing my head. I retreated into myself, withdrawing from the physical world to see what the hell was happening to me.

At least a dozen witches were attacking my mind, brutally ripping and tearing at the edges of my consciousness. I recognized some of the minds trying to drain me… how could my own Circle do this to me? I trusted them with my life, and this is how they reward my trust?

All of the power reserves I had been building back up after I drained them during the fight were gone. Completely gone. The witches were attacking me because they needed more power than I had at the moment – which meant they had done this before. My power reserves were so vast, they had invaded my mind and taken some of my power without me even realizing it. But now that the power wasn't there…

I could feel my spirit, my inner self, being ripped away under their barrage. I had to escape, or my mind would shatter. And I had to stay whole. Because a damaged witch couldn't protect Seth.

"Esme," I tried to say, but I have no idea if she heard me, "tell Seth I'm sorry."

With that, I fled the battlefield my thoughts had become, and ran into what we witches called the Twisted Kingdom. It's a winding landscape of the mind, where only the strong or the desperate go.

I believe humans call it insanity.

* * *

**Whoo, another cliffhanger! Now, I would like to announce that the idea of the Twisted Kingdom is not mine. I do not own it, I did not think of it. I got the idea from a great book series (called the Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop for those who are interested). I will explain what it is better in the next chapter.**

**Thank you all for being such supportive readers! You have no idea how happy I am writing these stories for you all! Please, let me know what you think about this chapter in a review. And for those who haven't, please vote in the poll on my profile page for my next story.**

**You guys are freaking amazing! (and if anyone has a good fanfic they're reading about the wolf pack, let me know, because I need a new story)**


	13. Under the Sky

**So, the response to the last chapter was abysmal at best. The reviews I received were positive, but only FIVE people reviewed. We had fourteen reviews from the chapter before that! If you don't like a chapter, leave that in a review! Tell me how to get better! I want to be a professional author, and I'm getting experience here. I'm updating for the second time in one week, and I'm praying you all like this one better. No matter what you think, just leave me a review! Please!**

* * *

Seth's POV

Something wasn't right.

Jake and I were running back to the Cullens' house after our meeting with Sam and Jared (Jared took over for that pack when Sam retired), and it was like a light pricking sensation at the edge of my thoughts. It didn't hurt, but it was just enough to let me know it was there.

"_Something wrong?"_ Jake asked.

"_Not sure,"_ I replied. I didn't know if anything was wrong, but I knew for sure something wasn't right.

"_We're almost there. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about,"_ Jake said, but I knew he was just trying to console me.

Emmett was waiting in the backyard for us when we jumped into the Cullens' backyard. His face was grim.

"Something's wrong with Jez," was all he said. He held out a bundle of cloth to me, probably pants so I could go inside and see what the hell was going on.

Once I was presentable (and by presentable, I mean I wasn't naked anymore), I rushed into the house. Rosalie pointed me towards the kitchen with a scowl on her face. I ran into the kitchen, and skidded to a stop when I saw Jez sitting at the table, slowly eating a bowl of soup.

At first, I relaxed. She was fine. But then I looked closer… she was eating so slowly, much too slow for her. She also was being very neat, eating with perfect manners. That was definitely not the Jez I knew.

"What's going on?" I asked no one in particular.

Tia came up behind me to watch Jez, too.

"She's in what witches call the Twisted Kingdom," Tia explained quietly. "Not many witches can achieve such an advanced level. Something… from what Esme told me, something – someone – attacked Jez's mind. In order to escape the attack, her mind fled from her body."

"Where is this Twisted Kingdom?" I asked quietly. Jez was still eating, completely ignoring us. That was so unlike her…

"It's not a place where we can go," Tia said sadly. "She's trapped within the dreamscape. The Twisted Kingdom is a place that exists in the mind. It's made up of twisting, winding roads that lead to other twisted, winding roads. It's difficult to explain."

"So… it's a place where only the mind can go," I tried to sum up.

"Yes… but only strong witches can do so without getting lost forever. If you get lost… you can never find your way back," Tia whispered. I glanced at her… and saw tears streaming down her face.

"Will… will Jez come back?" I already knew what Tia was going to say, but I needed to hear it. I was just a glutton for pain.

"It's… possible. But unlikely… She had to run so quickly to keep her mind intact… I don't know if she was able to keep track of the paths she was following…" Tia faltered between answers.

"Jezzie?" I called out softly to her. Jez slowly set down her spoon, and turned to face me. Her face lit up with joy.

"Seth!" she cried out and jumped up and hugged me. I wrapped my arms around her slowly, not quite believing.

"Hey, Jezzie," I whispered into her shoulder, holding on to her tightly. I pulled away to look at her face.

Her eyes were focused on something behind me, something very far away.

"Coal-black eyes," she whispered. "Coal-black eyes and a broken heart… but a spark. A spark is hidden beneath years of half-truths. So many half-truths and half-lies, no one believes. Coal-black eyes with a spark, Seth."

"Come again?" I asked. Her eyes switched to something else suddenly, something as far away as the last… whatever she was looking at.

"It's sunny today," she started whispering again. "There's not a cloud in the sky… it's such a pretty shade of blue. But it's not blue anymore."

"I don't know what that means," I said blatantly, but she went on as if she hadn't heard me.

"She's in front of me… her face is a mirror, but not a perfect copy. Light brown hair with gold… and blue eyes. She's calling to me… she's calling to Jezzie. But I'm not answering… there's a grizzled old woman in a black coat and she's holding out her hand… I didn't take her hand, so she took mine… and the blue sky turned red," Jez continued whispering.

"What? What are you trying to say, Jezzie?" I asked, completely confused. What the hell was she talking about?

Her eyes cleared, and she looked at me with a simple smile. "What was I saying about what?"

"You don't have any idea what you were saying before, do you?" I asked weakly.

"Not a clue!" she said brightly.

What was I going to do?

* * *

Jez's POV

I stumbled along the path of maybe, underneath a blood-red sky. After fleeing from the attack, I had tried to remember the pathway back to sanity. But I had never been so deep into the Twisted Kingdom, and I couldn't find any landmarks I recognized. I was getting desperate… this path of maybe wouldn't lead me home. There was a path to the right, and a path to the left. Both were covered completely in mist, and I couldn't see where either of them led. I tried to follow my instincts, but my instincts couldn't distinguish between the two paths.

I was lost.

I was never going to see Seth again.

The thought took all of the energy out of me, and I collapsed to the ground. What was I going to do? My powers couldn't help me here.

I rolled onto my back to watch the crimson sky. Flowers started to bloom around me. The paths – all three of them – were falling away into nothingness. The flowers had the faces of my friends, my coven, and, right next to me, was Seth's face, smiling back at me.

Suddenly my path of maybe became the island of maybe, with no way out.

If I couldn't go forwards, or backwards, or sideways, or down… then that leaves up.

* * *

I was lying on a couch, looking at a white ceiling. A part of me missed the stark beauty of the Twisted Kingdom, but nothing could beat sanity.

I sat up slowly, and took in my surroundings. Big white room, one wall made entirely of glass (could break through to escape), an open doorway into what looked like a kitchen (might be a back door out), a hallway leading to what looked like an entryway (probably front door). Not many obstacles, just a few couches and a coffee table. Only a single vampire occupied the room, staring out the window-wall on the opposite side of the room. Throw a pillow to distract him –

"Your mental barriers are down, by the way," the vampire said in a friendly voice that didn't seem very friendly.

He turned to face me, and I remembered that this was Nessie's father, Edward Cullen. The mind-reader.

I slowly reconstructed my barriers, one by one. They must have shattered during my coven's attack. When his brow furrowed ever so slightly, I knew my mind was my own again.

"Thanks. How long have I been lost?" I asked politely (well, polite for me).

"Two days. I've never seen everyone this helpless," he answered.

"How is Seth?" I asked, dreading the answer. I knew how I would be if Seth were lost in the Twisted Kingdom… and it wasn't pretty.

"He is… coping. Barely," Edward answered carefully. "He'll be relieved to see you're back among the sane."

"I'm pretty relieved myself."

"If you don't mind me prying, Tia told us that a witch – or a group of witches – must have attacked your mind to make you flee like that. Tia also mentioned that few witches are willing to pick a fight with you. Who attacked you?" Edward asked all of this very carefully.

"My Circle," I answered bitterly. "From what I could tell, they've been invading my power reserves and using some of it for themselves. To do what, I have no idea. But when I used all of my power – including all of my reserves – during the fight with the Volturi, there was nothing for them to take. Since there was nothing in the reserves, they used the power I was using to block my mind, stabilize my walk, and such. It dried up quickly, and that pissed them off."

"Tia said a witch's Circle is like her extended family. Why would they do this to you?" Edward asked, and it was a _very_ good question. One I wanted the answer to myself.

"I wish I knew. Can you call Seth in here? I think the sooner he knows I'm back, the better."

Edward noticed my evasive action, but didn't push it. "I'll let him know right now."

He pulled out a fancy phone that looked eerily similar to mine, and started calling someone. Whoever it was, it wasn't Seth, so I lost interest.

"JEZZIE!" I heard Seth's voice shout loudly from upstairs, and suddenly he was jumping down the stairs and leaping in front of me.

"Jezzie, are you back? Are you really here?" he asked desperately, holding onto my hands like they were his lifeline.

"Yes, I'm back," I answered simply, and he let out a loud whoop.

"Jez!" I heard female voices shout behind me, and suddenly I was in a group hug with Seth, Nessie, and Tia.

"I missed you guys, too," I said faintly.

After multiple "Are you okay?"s and "How are you feeling?"s and "Do you want something to eat?"s, they finally settled down around me.

Finally, Nessie asked the question. "Who attacked you?"

"The Shadow Circle," I answered grimly.

Tia's eyes went wide.

"But – but they're your Circle! They're supposed to protect you!" she gasped.

"They lied about males. Why would they tell me the truth about anything else?" I sighed.

"Can't – can't you leave the Circle?" Nessie asked timidly.

"Not if I want to stay alive," I answered.

"So… what happens now?" Seth asked.

"I expect the Circle will send someone to talk to me, try and smooth the whole thing over. It will probably be Raven, because no one else has the balls to talk to me when I'm this pissed off, especially at them," I said, scowling. I didn't want Raven coming back here so soon. I would have to cover my tracks quickly before she arrived to make sure she wouldn't find anything I didn't want her to find.

"So… we pretend like this didn't happen?" Seth asked, outraged.

"Pretty much," I said succinctly.

"Fine. But on one condition," Nessie said with a wicked smile on her face. Tia, Seth and I looked at her strangely.

"You have to come to Sam and Emily's barbeque tomorrow," Nessie said triumphantly.

"But all of the wolves hate me for what I did to Seth when I was trying to protect him!" I protested. "Not even Jake can stand me!"

"He'll get over it," Nessie deadpanned. "You aren't getting out of this."

"But… I don't want to be social!" I complained, resigned to my fate, but complaining anyways.

"Too bad. You're going."

"Wait, do I have to go, too?" Tia asked.

"Yes."

"Crap."

"Seth!" I turned to Seth, but he had a hopeful look that stopped me before I could drag him into this.

"Sorry, Jez, but I was kind of hoping you could meet my mom and the rest of the pack soon," Seth said so sweetly I couldn't help but give in.

"Fine. I'll go. But only for you," I reiterated, and Nessie cheered. But Seth smiled happily, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

"Why did I agree to this again?" I asked for what seemed like the millionth time in the past two days. I was currently driving my Mustang to the Quileute reservation with Seth riding shotgun and Jake and Nessie in the backseat.

"Because you love me?" Seth answered sweetly, and I remembered why I hadn't backed out. Stupid, adorable, lovable wolf…

"Don't worry, Jez, I told the guys ahead of time not to chew you out too much," Jake laughed. Once we (by that, I mean me, Nessie, and Seth) explained WHY I was ignoring Seth, Jake became a lot more sympathetic towards me.

"Let's just get this over with," I muttered as we pulled up the dirt road that led to Sam and Emily's place.

It was a quaint little cottage I would never live in, surrounded by beat-up cars that were all at least ten years old. My brow furrowed. I started chanting in my head, _You're doing this for Seth, you're doing this for Seth, you're doing this for Seth…_

I parked my car in a place where another car couldn't block me if I tried to make a quick escape (can you really blame me?). Seth took my hand as we walked up to the house (Can I even really call it a house? This place is _tiny_.), so I didn't try to run away.

There was a small kitchen garden off to the left, and I relaxed a little. At least I would have something to talk about with Emily…

Seth opened the door and walked in without knocking, and led me straight to the kitchen. Five Native American women were bustling around, presumably making food (I wouldn't know) and occasionally shooing an enormous boy out.

"Hey everyone, this is Jezebel!" Seth introduced me quickly and loudly to the group of women. They all paused whatever they were doing to look at me. Goddess, why did I _agree_ to this?

I gave a half-hearted wave, but they just kept looking. I heard the loud ruckus of the boys in the front room quiet down, too.

Before I could announce that I had to leave _immediately_, a middle-aged woman with Seth's kind eyes approached me and drew me into a huge hug.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you, Jezebel! I've heard so much about you. I'm Sue, Seth's mother," she introduced herself.

I was a trained warrior, bred for the most deadly battles a witch could face. I had faced attacks from twisted males, monstrous creatures, and deadly vampires. I had taken on a group of the Volturi and won. _I would not run away from my future mother-in-law_.

"It's great to meet you, too!" I managed to choke out. Seth apparently took this as his cue to abandon me, and he disappeared into the living room.

"Artemis!" a little voice called out, and I sighed in relief. Claire would save me.

"Hi, Claire!" I greeted her with enthusiasm, and she gave me a hug, too. These people did not have personal bubbles, did they?

Claire immediately started relaying her entire school experience from the past two weeks. I listened intently, trying to stay out of everyone's way. This was _so_ uncomfortable.

"Brady and Collin are finally back," someone said, sounding very relieved. "They were supposed to just pick up some soda. What took them so long?"

"No idea. At least they're back," someone else replied. I needed to learn these people's names!

Two shapeshifters – presumably this Collin and Brady – stumbled into the kitchen, laden down with armfuls of boxes of soda. I rolled my eyes and decided to help the fools.

"Brady, about time! Collin, put those over there on the table," Sue ordered from the sink.

"Hand some of that over here," I sighed to the one Sue called Collin. He gratefully handed one of the thirty-packs to me, and I looked at his face – and his eyes.

Coal-black… with a spark in them.

* * *

**Oh, snap! Collin is a witch! Let me know what you think about that in a review, and vote in the poll for my next story please!**


	14. Impossible

**Alright, seven reviews. Not bad. But I still would like to see a few more per chapter. I think I'm going to start asking questions at the end of the chapter for you guys to answer. That way, you can't say: Well, I just don't know what to say about the story. Now you'll know exactly what to say.**

**So I've been having a really bad day, and I hope you'll send some reviews my way to cheer me up. Read on!**

* * *

Jez's POV

I stared at Collin in shock. _This isn't possible._ No male can be a full-fledged witch!

I could feel everyone watching me stare at Collin, but I couldn't bring myself to care. A male witch was standing in front of me. This wasn't a difference of opinions with the Shadow Circle. This was the shattering of an unbreakable law.

"Um… why is she staring at me like that?" I heard Collin ask someone.

"It _is_ possible to ask her, you know," I heard Nessie respond. She came up behind me and placed her hand on my shoulder. Her questioning thoughts flowing through my mind brought me back to the tiny kitchen. After all, Nessie was an impossible witch as well.

"_He's one of us,"_ I answered silently. I could feel her shock as she took her hand away.

"If you'll excuse us," I said quietly, grabbed Nessie and Tia and quickly walked outside.

"What in the name of all things natural just happened in there?" Tia asked heatedly.

"Something impossible," I answered. Nessie steered Tia into the backseat of my car, and I quickly took the driver's seat. I sped away before they even got their seatbelts on.

"Would someone please explain what just happened?" Tia exclaimed. I kept my eyes on the road, not daring to look at her. Tia is usually very soft-spoken and good-natured, but when she was upset, she got _upset_.

"Collin is a witch," I answered succinctly.

"Alright, why did we have to run away like that for you to tell me this?"

"Collin isn't a half-gifted male like the ones you know, Tia. He is a full-fledged witch," I enunciated every word of that last sentence for effect.

"That's not possible," Tia said quietly, completely taken aback.

"It is now," Nessie said.

"Alright then, what do we do about it?" Tia questioned.

There was a slight prick against my mental barriers – someone was at my house, breaking some of the protection spells. A light mental brush against the intruder's mind was all I needed. Raven hadn't wasted any time.

"Raven is at my house now. Let me get rid of her, and we'll figure something out," I said firmly. I was the High Priestess of this coven, damn it. There were some things I was allowed to do, and facing a potentially lethal enemy on my own was one of them.

"You aren't budging on this, are you?" Nessie sighed.

"Damn right," I confirmed happily.

"Fine, drop us off at the Cullen house, but you better _call us_ as soon as Raven leaves," Tia said firmly. "And we'll try to come up with some plan for how to deal with Collin."

"Sounds good."

After a quick drive back to the Cullen property, I sped back home to face a possibly deadly enemy. Raven was usually no match for me, but I was still feeling a little weak from the fight and my journey through the Twisted Kingdom.

I pulled up to my house to find Raven sitting on the front porch with a wicked smile on her face. She knew this might be the only chance she had at beating me.

I made sure to leave my car unlocked with the keys in the ignition in case I had to make a quick escape. As I approached, Raven stood up to greet me.

"Hello, Sister Jezebel," she greeted happily, with none of her former disdain. Apparently, once I'm her equal, she doesn't hate me as much.

"Sister Raven," I answered, and the words felt like a lie. "What brings you back here so soon?"

"Well, the crones noticed your unprecedented drop in power a few days ago. They were wondering what could cause you to drain your power to the breaking point so quickly," Raven said slyly. So they were going to play the ignorant route.

"A group from the Volturi came and attacked me and my ward," I said bluntly. "The fight left me exhausted."

"Ah, the Volturi. That explains it," Raven said, that wicked grin still firmly in place.

"And then, a few days later while I was still recovering, some of our Sisters invaded my mind and were trying to take what little power I had regained," I said offhandedly.

Raven's grin faded. "Yes, well. That's what I came here to talk to you about. It seems –"

"I have no use for your lies or your games right now, Raven," I interrupted her, dropping the act of civility. "The Circle invaded my mind to take my power for themselves, an act that is against our laws. I will speak to all of our Sisters about this during the next meeting of the Circle in two weeks time."

Raven looked taken aback for thirty seconds before she schooled her face into a neutral expression. "We look forward to your presence, _Sister_," she said in a tone that said she wasn't looking forward to it at all.

She started to leave, but then turned around to face me. "By the way, there is a new prophecy making its way through the Circles. The crones wanted me to tell you about."

"Tell me, and then leave," I said shortly.

"The prophecy speaks of the end of our kind. The harbinger of doom for the Shadow Circle, and all witches like us. The monster will be a male witch," Raven said.

"How can a half-gifted male bring us down?" I asked simply, while ice grew in my heart.

"Not a half-gifted male," Raven said, shaking her head. "A fully-gifted male witch. He spells the end for us all if he continues to live, so the Circle is asking all of the Sisters for information."

"I've heard nothing like that around here, but I'll start looking into it," I said. "Is there anything else?"

"That is all. See you at the next meeting, Sister," Raven waved goodbye, and she left.

I slumped onto the porch's railing for support. The Shadow Circle was already looking for Collin. But did Collin's existence spell the end for all witches, or just the Shadow Circle?

My phone rang loudly and obnoxiously. I ignored it. How could I focus on anything else right now? Politics and extinction for these witches… it was all-consuming…

The phone went silent as it went to voicemail. It began ringing again.

It took all of my willpower to not throw the damn thing into my pond. Nessie and Tia could wait a few minutes for me to gather my thoughts, and –

"Jezzie?"

I lifted my head to see Seth standing next to my car, with an expression that was half-confused and half-worried-out-of-his-mind on his face.

How could I forget my Seth? Wow, I was a terrible soul mate.

I ran to him and threw my arms around him. He slowly wrapped his arms around me, holding me close. He made me feel like everything wasn't completely fucked. He was the one point of light and reason in a world that had spun out of control.

"Jezzie, what the hell happened at the party? You looked at Collin, and the three of you just took off like…"

"I can't explain it to you, because I can't even explain it to myself," I sighed into his chest. It felt so good to be in his arms again.

"What? Well – can you just tell me…" he stuttered and stumbled around words, and I had no idea what he was asking. Even though he was here and in my arms, I could feel him drawing away from me.

"Just spit it out," I said lightly, trying to laugh a little but failing miserably. What was happening? Did I say something, do something, wrong?

I looked into his eyes, and I could almost see him withdrawing into himself. He wouldn't talk to me anymore right now, at least not honestly.

"It's nothing," he said with a sad smile. "I need to get back to Emily's, my mom wanted to talk to me."

"Alright. When are you coming back to see me?" I asked sadly, already knowing the answer and knowing I wasn't going to like it.

"Soon. Eventually," he said, and before I could even kiss him goodbye, he was gone.

Goddess, why do you hate me so much? I thought we had gotten over this you-making-my-life-miserable-for-shits-and-giggles thing.

There was absolutely no explanation for Seth drawing away from me. Nothing logical, at least. The best thing I could do for myself right now is to put it in the back of my mind and focus on the disaster-in-the-making known as Collin.

I tried to think of the best way to approach this. Talking to Collin himself would tell me nothing. Would his parents be of more help? That was the best idea yet, so I decided a little chat with his parents was in order.

I cloaked myself in a sight shield and physical shield, so I would be completely invisible and unnoticeable. I would leave no scent and no footprints.

I took my time traveling back to the reservation. I wanted to make sure the party was over so everyone would be headed home.

Emily's house was slowly emptying when I arrived. Everyone was on edge, like a subtle attack had left a major wound no one could see.

"I'm worried," I heard Sue say to Emily quietly.

"Of course you are. Everyone is," Emily responded.

"Yes, but my son is suffering because of it. I thought this whole drama with Jezebel was over, that they would finally be able to just be together and get to know one another. Now… I just hope whatever happened between her and Collin isn't…" Sue trailed off, but Emily finished her sentence for her.

"The witchs' version of imprinting?" Emily whispered.

Oh, hell's fire, is _that_ what everyone was thinking? Is that why Seth ran from me?

I wasn't in love with Collin, I wanted to make sure Collin didn't spell the extinction of my kind! Did they have so little faith in me?

Well, that was obviously a yes, but I thought Seth would trust me a little more than that.

Collin passed by with a bag of food, and everyone went silent.

"I'm going home. See you all later," he said quietly, and he all but ran. Apparently, they were blaming Collin, too.

I followed him to another little house on the reservation, this one closer to the ocean than Emily's cottage. It was in decent repair, but obviously hadn't had a woman around for a while.

Collin dropped his bag on the kitchen table and yelled, "Dad, I'm home!"

"How was the party?" a middle-aged Quileute man walked in and asked. He was clearly Collin's father, but didn't appear to have a drop of witch blood in him.

"Terrible," Collin answered shortly, collapsing into a chair at the table. His father took the seat next to him.

"What happened?" he asked gently.

"Seth's stupid imprint! I walk in and she sees me and just _stares_ at me. Her, Embry's imprint Tia, and Nessie all ran off like vampires were after them, and now everyone thinks she did some weird witch-version of imprinting on me! Now everyone hates me, because her and Seth just got together, and now they think I ripped everything apart!" Collin said angrily.

"Oh. Well. Ummm… I'm not entirely certain how you can fix that, except to go talk to this girl and get information from the person who knows it best," his father said slowly. Hm, pretty smart guy.

"No! Everyone will completely blow it out of proportion!" Collin protested.

"Well, I don't know what you can do, then."

Collin groaned and stomped off. His father just sighed and stared at a picture on the counter. It looked like a wedding picture, with a younger version of Collin's father and a lovely pale woman with long blonde hair in a white dress. They looked happy.

"This would have been a lot easier if you could just accept your son – and me – what this tribe is," he sighed sadly.

So… Collin's mother found out he was a wolf and took off. Time to pay a visit to the crappy mother…

* * *

I stood in front of a white apartment building in Olympia, the current home of Collin's estranged mother. Tracking her down wasn't difficult – at least, not for me and a simple locating spell. That was when I found out Collin's mother was a witch.

She was in her mid-forties, with no discernible loyalties to any Circle or coven. From what I could tell, she lived alone.

I knocked on the door, deciding a face-to-face meeting might get me more information this time.

When she opened the door, her eyes widened. I placed my foot in front of the door so she couldn't close it.

"Mind if I come in for a cup of tea, Sister?" I asked sweetly.

"I don't exactly have an amiable relationship with the Shadow Circle right now," she said shortly, trying to close the door but failing.

"Excellent. Neither do I. I just want to talk with you about your son, Collin," I said in a friendly voice that demanded her cooperation.

"You know, don't you?" she asked hopelessly. She opened the door slowly. All of the fight in her had vanished as I followed her inside.

"I don't know how it happened," she said as we sat down at her kitchen table. "My estranged husband's tribe has the ability to become shapeshifters when vampires are near. Maybe, when those genes combined with my witch genes… it created the possibility of a fully-gifted male witch."

"I suppose so. But why did you leave them?" I asked. I was considering training Collin, so I was going to treat him as a Brother for now.

"Because I loved them!" she cried out. "I belong to the Shadow Circle because there's no way out. It was dangerous enough to have a husband and a family, but once Collin was born and that prophecy about a male witch, I couldn't stay and keep them safe."

"What does the prophecy say, exactly?" I asked.

"I've forgotten the exact wording over time, but it says when a full male witch bows in service to the Witch Queen, the Shadow Circle will fall," she said sadly.

"Excellent," I whispered.

"What?" she gasped.

"If Collin is properly trained and serves the Witch Queen, it means the Shadow Circle will cease to exist. Which means you can go home to your family, and I'll be free to start my own," I explained happily. Finally, the answer to my prayers!

"But will my poor baby survive to do so?" she whispered hauntingly.

"Have you heard of the witch Jezebel Blackheart?" I asked sweetly.

"No… you… you're Jezebel? You've turned against the Circle?" she asked incredulously.

"For almost the same reason you did," I replied.

"I suppose Blackheart doesn't quite fit you anymore, then," she said with a smile on her face.

"Never again."

"Will… will you look after Collin for me? Make sure he stays safe?" she asked timidly.

"Of course. I'm going to train him personally," I said.

"Thank the Goddess. Train him well."

"I will. By the way, what is your name?" I asked, realizing I had no idea who she was.

"Lindel."

"Lindel the Trap-maker?" I asked incredulously. "Impressive. I'll have to push Collin harder in that area."

We talked for a few more minutes before I left. She was a brave, strong witch. Collin would be the same.

But first, I needed to smooth things over with Seth.

* * *

I knocked on the door for the third time. Seth's house was a bit larger than the others I had seen on the reservation, and in better repair. I knew Seth and his mother were inside, but no one was answering the door.

I knocked again and shouted, "Goddamn it, Seth, I know you're in there! I just want to talk!"

"Fine, if you won't answer the door…" I trailed off, and summoned some power. I slowly stepped through the door. Making a pass through physical objects took a lot of concentration, but it was doable. So I slipped right through solid wood and into the Clearwaters' kitchen. It was necessary, since I didn't want to break the door down. I'm already on his mother's shit list.

Seth and Sue were sitting at the kitchen table, their mouths hanging open.

"What do you expect when you don't answer the door?" I asked honestly.

"I think I'll just let you kids work this out," Sue said quietly, and she slipped into the living room.

"You do that. Seth, what the hell?"

"What?" he asked miserably, his forehead against the table.

"You know what! Why were you hiding from me?"

"You can't break up with me if you can't find me," he mumbled.

"Why the hell would I break up with you?" I asked sternly. This was like talking to a five-year-old.

"Because you… did this weird… witch-version of imprinting on Collin," he stuttered out.

"You have got to be kidding me. Seth, what part of 'I love you, you are my soul mate' did you _not_ understand?" I shrieked. Seriously, this was starting to piss me off.

"But… everyone said –"

"Who cares what they said!" I shouted. "Did it ever occur to you that they had no idea what they were talking about? That maybe I was surprised because of something else?"

"No," he said simply.

"Seth, for the Goddess's sake, I love you. I love you more than I ever thought was possible. You are my soul mate, and I already did the 'witch's version' of imprinting on you. You are the only one that matters, you idiot," I said softly, my anger starting to fade.

"Really?" he asked hopefully, looking up at me for the first time. His eyes were big, chocolate pools of hope, and all of my anger melted away.

"Of course," I said, and walked over to him to take his hand. It was huge and warm and just like I remembered. "How could I ever want anyone else?"

He pulled me into his lap and held me tightly, this time no one holding back. It was best feeling I had ever had.

"By the way, you're helping me tell Collin he's a witch."

"Collin's a witch?"

* * *

**Alright, what did you guys think? So, question number one: Is anyone confused about what is going on? Two: How did you guys feel about Jez and Seth's mini-fight? Three: Did I make Collin a little too whiny? Four: Any predictions for next chapter?**

**That should be enough. If you want to answer one question or all four, I'll be over the moon. So please review, and vote in the poll!**


	15. Explanations

**Alright, it hasn't been too long since I updated, but I'm sure you're all eager to get to the story! So, the quality of reviews increased dramatically when I asked questions, so you will find a few at the bottom that I would really appreciate you answering. That's all I have to say, read on!**

* * *

Jez's POV

Five minutes after our little fight, Seth and I were in my Mustang, speeding back to La Push. The sooner we got this shit straightened out, the better.

Then I remembered I was supposed to call Tia as soon as Raven left. Which was four hours ago. Shit, she was _not_ going to be happy with me…

"Hey babe, can you check my phone for any missed calls?" I asked Seth, who looked happily surprised.

"You called me 'babe'. I have a nickname," he whispered lovingly. He perked up as he answered, "Sure thing! Where's your phone?"

"Trench coat, left pocket," I replied.

He reached into my trench coat in the backseat, pulled out my purple iPhone, and said, "How do I work this thing?"

I'll admit it: I giggled. "You are just too damn cute."

I took the phone from him and flipped through my new messages. Oh shit, forty text messages and twelve voice mail messages. All of them were from Tia. She's going to kill me.

"Hey, no phone while driving!" Seth protested, looking very terrified. "Your driving scares me enough when you're paying attention!"

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered as I hit the 'Call' button for Tia, then hit speakerphone so Seth would shut up about my driving. I'm not that bad of a driver. I threw the phone back to him just as Tia answered and started screaming at me.

"Jezebel Blackwood, you insensitive bitch! I thought Raven kidnapped you and dragged you back to the Shadow Circle! Do you have any idea how scared we were? I have half a mind to beat you senseless –" Tia screeched at the top of her lungs until I interrupted her.

"Tia, I'm sorry, but we've got bigger fish to fry," I said fiercely. "Meet us at Collin's house. Bring Nessie."

"Fine. We'll be there in fifteen minutes," she snapped at me and hung up.

"Why are we going to Collin's?" Seth asked quietly.

"You've got to be kidding me!" I shrieked. "You still don't trust me? Collin is like Tia or Nessie to me! I don't love him, and if I start loving him, it will be only as my brother! What do I have to do so you'll see you're the only one I'll ever want to be with? I love you, goddamn it! How am I supposed to prove that to you?"

"You don't have to prove anything to me," Seth said quietly. "I'm just… scared. Of losing you. After all of that… misunderstanding in the beginning, it made me paranoid. I just need to get over my insecurity."

"Yes, you do," I snapped at first, but my voice softened as I said, "I just wish you would trust me a little more."

"I trust you, it's other people I don't trust," Seth protested.

"Like Collin? Your werewolf brother?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm sorry! It's just… I just… yeah, I got nothing."

I laughed, and I didn't try to stifle it.

We pulled into Collin's driveway, and I'm really glad Seth didn't ask how I knew where Collin lived. I turned the car off and pulled a lead pipe out of the back seat.

"You ready for this?" I asked lightly. Seth just stared at the lead pipe.

"Why do you have that in your back seat?" he asked, looking extremely worried.

"For occasions like this," I answered succinctly, and got out of the car. Seth followed, acting quite erratic.

"Why does that pipe have blood on it?" he gasped.

"Because this isn't the first time I've used it. Let's go," I said matter-of-factly.

"I thought we were just gonna talk to him!" Seth cried.

"Why would I just talk to him? People want him dead, so we don't have time to waste," I smiled and knocked on the front door.

Collin's father was the one who answered, looking at Seth and I like we were ghosts dressed in drag.

"Hi, I was wondering if Collin was home. We need to have a little chat with him," I said sweetly.

The older man glanced at my bloodstained lead pipe, then back to me and said, "Um, sure. Let me go get him."

"See? This is going to be easy," I tried to reassure Seth, but he didn't seem to buy it. I have no idea why he was being so difficult.

Collin appeared in the doorway, and he looked _very_ surprised to see us.

"Hi, Collin, right?" I greeted him in an upbeat voice, then I whacked him upside the head with my pipe. It hit with a sickening thud. Collin fell to the floor. I thought these werewolves had super healing abilities… it's going to suck if I got that wrong…

"Jezzie, what the hell?" Seth screamed like a little girl beside me, but I couldn't pay attention to him right now. I promised Lindel that I would train her son and train him well. I only had two weeks before I left for the Shadow Circle's next meeting, so the next two weeks were all I had to prepare him. Which meant I could show no mercy.

"Get up," I ordered. Collin groaned and tried to push himself up. I kicked him in the side. He grunted and fell back down.

"JEZ! I thought we were just gonna talk to him!" Seth protested loudly.

"Yeah, I realized that's not going to work," I said shortly. "We've got two weeks to train Collin on how to fight and defend himself without his wolf form, so we don't have time to fuck off."

"Wait… what?" Collin groaned from the ground right as his father came back.

"What the hell are you doing to my son?" the middle-aged man screamed, looking enraged. Then again, I would be enraged if someone came and tried to beat my son up, too.

"Long story short, I'm doing what your wife couldn't," I snapped at him. Collin was sitting up, holding his side.

"What about my mom?" Collin asked, my previous actions apparently forgotten to him.

"Alright, less short version: when your dad's freaky werewolf genes and your mom's freaky witch genes combined, it did the impossible. You are the first male witch. Ever. And a prophecy is coming out about how YOU are going to spell the destruction of the Shadow Circle," I explained neatly. "Now, can I _please_ continue trying to teach you something?"

"You're teaching him to defend himself with a _bloody lead pipe_?" his father asked incredulously.

"Yeah, what else would I use?" I asked. He just looked at me in shock.

"Wait, have you actually talked to my mom?" Collin asked. Apparently, the kid is stuck on the mom issue and completely ignored everything else I said.

"Yeah, like two hours ago."

Both Collin's and his father's eyes widened. That's right, Lindel left only a few months after Collin was born. They haven't seen her in two decades.

"I haven't seen Linda since Collin was born," his father said quietly, almost to himself. "Why don't you all come inside and we can talk about this. Then Collin can decide if he wants to do… whatever this is."

"The way you say it makes it sound like Collin has a choice," I muttered under my breath. Seth shot me a look.

Once we were all settled in the living room with various drinks, Seth and I on one couch and Collin and his father on the couch opposite us, Collin's father started the conversation.

"So, I'm Michael, but you can just call me Mike," he said politely. "Ummm… Jezebel?"

"Just call me Jez," I interrupted.

"Alright, Jez. You said you saw Linda today?" he asked politely enough, but I could hear the desperation in his voice. After all she had put him through, he still loved her.

"Her real name is Lindel," I said. "She told me about the prophecy that started going around two decades ago. As soon as Collin was born, she knew. And she wasn't going to turn her own son over to the Circle."

"And this… Circle… wants Collin dead? Why? What did the prophecy say?"

"That the first full male witch would spell the destruction of the Shadow Circle, so, obviously, they want him dead before he can destroy them," I explained. "I told Lindel I would train Collin so he would stand a chance."

"Why would you do that? Don't you belong to the Shadow Circle?" Collin asked bitterly. Seth tensed and Mike's head snapped up to look at me.

"So does your mother. Clearly, our loyalty doesn't run deep," I snapped. I took a deep breath. He doesn't understand yet, I need to remember that… "I want you to win in this fight because it means Seth will be safe."

"Right… because the Shadow Circle doesn't want their… ummm… witches to be in love with guys, right?" Collin asked.

"Yes. They will kill him if they ever find out I love him," I said, my voice strained. I gripped Seth's hand tightly. The very thought was torture. "If you win, I'm free to live my life with him… and your mother can finally come home."

"Will she come home?" Mike asked no one in particular. He seemed prone to thinking out loud.

"She will. She misses both of you too much to do anything else," I answered. Mike visibly relaxed and Collin smiled for the first time.

The sound of car doors slamming stopped me from continuing.

"Are we expecting anyone?" Mike asked, looking a little worried.

"Yes, Tia and Nessie," I said, and he relaxed again. Poor guy needed to chill out. Then again, about a hundred witches had Collin at the top of their hit lists, so he has a good reason.

Tia, unfortunately, still seemed upset with me because she burst through the door without knocking, fuming. Her eyes settled on me, and I almost felt scared.

"Tia, for the Goddess's sake, calm down," I said. Nessie edged in behind Tia, looking relieved.

"Calm down? You want me to calm down? I thought Raven killed you!" she seethed.

"Obviously, she didn't, which I told you earlier over the phone. Can we please focus on the more-important issue at hand?" I asked exhaustedly.

Tia glared at me for a few long moments before she said, "Fine. But next time, you better call me!"

"Tia, you know I can take Raven on and win," I muttered.

"Normally? Yes, I wouldn't have been worried. But in your current state, it would have been an even match, and Raven is devious," Tia said.

I could see Mike's and Collin's questioning looks. I sighed.

"The Shadow Circle is as loyal to me as I am to them," I explained. Comprehension started to dawn on their faces.

"So, are Collin and his father properly informed?" Nessie asked, looking overjoyed that Tia's anger had been assuaged.

"For the most part. Now, we just have to ask Collin if he's in," I said, and we all turned to look at Collin questioningly. His eyes widened.

"Do I have to decide now?" Collin asked, looking panicky. I hate it when they get panicky…

"The sooner you decide, the sooner we can start training," I said, deftly avoiding the question.

"I… fine. Okay. I'm in," Collin said, looking like he regretted the decision already.

Nessie, Tia and I looked at one another with wicked smiles on our faces. I turned back to Collin and said, "Good to hear. We have two weeks before I leave for the Circle meeting, so we're going to spend those two weeks teaching you everything I can possibly think you would need to know to survive."

"Wait, why are you going to the Shadow Circle if you don't trust them anymore?" Collin asked.

"Because they don't know I've defected yet, and I want to keep it that way. Plus…" I trailed off, knowing why I was really going. "I want to have a little chat with them about why they've been using my power without my knowledge or permission."

"Alright, we have a time limit, why are we wasting time? Let's get started!" Nessie said excitedly. She turned to Collin. "I'll be picking up a few things while Jez trains you, so we're learning together!"

"Yeah, but I have a feeling Jez is going to be a lot less worried about kicking my ass than yours," Collin groaned. "Was it really necessary to hit me over the head with a lead pipe?"

"Yes," I answered with a big smile. "Yes, it was. Since we're all here, why don't we get started?"

"Shit," Collin muttered. "I'm gonna die, aren't I?"

"Nah, it'll probably only hurt a lot," Seth said lightly.

"Yeah, that makes me feel better."

* * *

**So, what do you think? Not my best, or my most-exciting, chapter, but decent enough, and crucial to the plot. So, questions! First, and I know I asked this last chapter, but it's worrying me: Do you think Collin was too whiny again? He's going to grow a pair as the story progresses, but for right now, I want to make sure you don't hate him. Second, was Jez too harsh with Collin? Third, is anyone confused? A lot went on in this chapter, and a lot of the plot was outlined. I want to make sure everyone understands what's going on. Fourth, any predictions?**

**Please review! If I get enough reviews to satisfy me, I'll update again this weekend!**

**This is me rambling and being insecure, so if you don't care, don't read it. About a week ago, I got an anonymous review from the first chapter of my story Love Like Crazy, and all it said was, "I kinda think you suck at writing." That kind of shit makes me want to quit writing, because they won't even tell why they think I suck. I want to write my own full-length novel in a couple of years, and if I'm that bad, I should just give up now when I can still change my major. So if you don't like something or you think I'm insane for following my childhood dream when I'm clearly not good enough, for the love of God, tell me, then tell me why!**


	16. Why Did I Agree To This Again?

**So, am I going to have to threaten to kill Jez again to get reviews? I mean, seriously, only five? I don't want to be a bitch or be greedy, but writing this takes a lot of work, and I do it for the experience and the reviews. I love getting your comments and feedback, and the people who have been reviewing are the most amazing people ever! I don't want to give quotas for how many reviews it will take to get me to update, but I'm considering it.**

**Please, pretty pretty please, review! I already have the next chapter written, so I'll update as soon as you review!**

* * *

Jez's POV

"Get up!" I shouted. Collin continued to struggle getting to his feet. After ten seconds, I aimed a slow kick at his side, praying that he learned _something_.

It had been a week since Collin agreed to train with us, and I was starting to like the kid. Once you pushed him past his limit, he was capable of miracles. The hard part was getting him there.

He blocked the kick with his arm like an expert – at least there was _some_ progress.

"What the fuck was that? There was more than ten seconds between those two attacks – Raven could have killed you in three," I scolded harshly.

"Look, this shit isn't easy! You've been training for this since you were a kid! I started a week ago! Cut me some slack!" he begged. I wanted to take this slower, but he didn't have the luxury of time.

"You can't afford to take it slow! You have one week left before I leave, and only the Goddess knows if I'm coming back, so you are going to learn _everything_ I can fit in that tiny brain of yours before I go!" I shouted at him.

"You… you might not be coming back?" he wheezed between gasps for breath. If he was panting and sweating with _that_ workout, we were in trouble.

"The Shadow Circle won't kill me, not if they can help it. But…" I trailed off, wondering if I should even be telling him this. Well, I was considering inviting him to join Nessie, Tia and I in our coven, and that relationship is based on trust, as Tia reminds me oh-so often. "I'm not sure if I want to continue to belong in the Circle, even in name."

"What do you mean?" he asked. Of course he wouldn't just leave it at that… stupid, curious boy…

"I mean, that I don't want them to have access to my mind and power anymore. They've been stealing my power from me for who knows how long, and they attacked my mind, driving me into the Twisted Kingdom. I don't want to have any part of them anymore," I said quietly.

Collin just asked, "But why would that make them want to kill you?"

"Because they don't want to lose me as one of their resources. When something dangerous needs to be done, they send me in, because I am the only one who can handle it. Plus…" I trailed off again, but decided to just spit it out. "They're very possessive… jealous… cruel… They won't let me live."

Collin was quiet as he absorbed the answer. Then he asked, "How would you leave the Circle?"

"Blood in, blood out," I laughed without humor. "When I was initiated, they sliced my wrist open, took some of the blood, and used it to create a bond with them. To get out, they'll give me more than just a slit wrist… They'll try to bleed me dry. Thank the Goddess, they have to follow the law that says I must be able to leave the place where the ritual takes place on my own, but that doesn't mean they won't do their damnedest to make sure I bleed out later."

"Wow, I am so glad you found me before they did," Collin muttered. "But you won't leave the Circle if it means almost certain death, right?"

"I told you, I'm still thinking about it," I said firmly.

"No!" he shouted, leaping to his feet. "You can't! Do you know what your death would do to Seth? If you don't survive, he doesn't either!"

"And that is the main reason why I'm still thinking about it instead of doing it outright. But if I leave the Circle, they can never find out about you from me, and they can't hurt Seth because of me," I sighed.

"But they can still find out about me, and they can still hurt Seth. It's not worth it!" Collin was still shouting.

"Collin, take it down an octave. I haven't decided anything yet, and if you keep trying to talk about it, I'll make you work through the night and well into tomorrow," I said in a tone that said this conversation was over. Collin looked like he wanted to keep talking (more like shouting, but details…), but he wisely kept his mouth shut.

We finished the workout at dusk, and I sent him home. If I let him stay for dinner, our usual chats about magic and the particulars of Craft would stray back to this subject, and Seth did _not _need to know about this.

I headed back to my house (these training sessions usually took place deep in the woods – I wanted Collin to know how to fight in closed spaces as well as open ones) for dinner. I would bet half of Bill Gates' fortune that Seth was there waiting for me, probably cooking dinner for the two of us. Emily had taught him a few things. From what I can gather from the reluctant wolves, Sue's cooking is worse than mine – which shouldn't be physically possible without poisoning someone.

I ran up the back steps and opened the door to a delicious scent I couldn't identify. Yeah, Seth was definitely cooking something good.

"Hey baby, I'm home!" I shouted as I tugged my boots off. I ran into the kitchen to see Seth standing over a skillet full of edible things.

"Hey Jezzie! How was training?" he asked while I gave him a quick kiss. I took a seat at the bar.

"Collin is progressing – slowly," I growled. "He has to stop whining before things start progressing."

"He's frustrated, and you have to remember, he's not a fighting genius like you are," Seth reminded me with a giant smile that made me melt. My frustration dissipated so quickly with that smile…

"I know, which doesn't make sense," I said. "He's supposed to be the end of the Shadow Circle. How can he possibly take all of those witches out when he can't even beat me?"

"That prophecy never said Collin would be the one to destroy him," Seth said offhandedly, and I froze. "It said his presence would spell their end. So the fact that he's here means the Shadow Circle is going to fall, not that he's going to be the one to take them down."

"Oh Goddess, Seth, you're right," I whispered. This changes everything…

"Hey, Jez? How did Collin's mom hide him from the Circle for so long?" Seth asked after a few minutes.

"She told them some things that weren't completely true, but weren't completely lies, either," I answered, still thinking about how to deal with Seth's revelation. I looked up. "Seth?"

Seth had frozen in mid-stir. "So – so half-truths and half-lies, right?"

"What are you talking about, babe? That's prophecy-speak," I said cautiously, walking over to him and putting an arm around his waist.

"You said it," he whispered. "When you were in that Twisted Kingdom place… you said half-truths and half-lies kept him hidden… 'Coal-black eyes with a spark in them' was what you said."

"Witches are known to shed light on things when they're trapped in the Twisted Kingdom, even though they have no idea what's going on. It's up to the people around them to decipher the meaning of their words," I explained. "What else did I say?"

"It was something about a sunny day," Seth said, his face screwed up in a scowl as he tried to remember. "And… a face that was a mirror but not a perfect copy. You said she had brown hair with gold in it and blue eyes. You said she was calling you, but some crone took your hand, and then…"

"Then what?" I asked, my heart sinking. A crone taking my hand…

"You said the blue sky turned red," Seth whispered.

My legs went out beneath me. Seth caught me before I fell very far, saying something to me, but I couldn't bring myself to pay attention.

A crone took me from a girl who looked like me. The Shadow Circle didn't find me as an orphan in the foster care system! They kidnapped me from my family! Was this girl my sister? My flesh-and-blood sister? My heart ached at the very thought.

"Jezzie? Jezzie! Answer me, dammit!" Seth was shouting in my ear like I was deaf, but then I realized he had been talking to me the whole time, and he was probably very worried. I would have been throwing things already if our roles were reversed.

"Seth? Do you know what that means?" I asked him quietly. He stopped shouting.

"No, what?"

"It means I've never been an unwanted orphan. The Shadow Circle took me from my family. That girl is probably my sister," I said, still quiet.

"Oh. Oh, shit, Jezzie, I –" Seth started to say, but I cut him off.

"This shouldn't surprise me. After all they've done… this isn't the worst thing they've done to me," I whispered.

I could feel the shock wearing off. I started to feel outrage… and then I started feeling rage. I was _furious_.

"How _dare_ they?" I hissed.

Seth noticed the change in my mood. "Jezzie? I know you're upset, but they can't hurt you anymore. I'm here, I'll never hurt you, I'll always be here for you…"

I clung to Seth in an awkward hug on my kitchen floor. Whatever was cooking lay completely forgotten. He was here for _me_, and he always would be. I didn't have to destroy things to alleviate my anger and rage anymore. I have Seth. That's all I need.

My cell phone started ringing somewhere in the house, but we ignored it. After a minute, it went silent. Then the house phone started ringing.

I swallowed my feelings for the moment, knowing Seth would be there to help me get over this later. I stood, picked up the phone and answered, "What?"

"Jez? Jez, this is Emily – something is wrong with Collin – he's just staring off into space and he won't move! Brady tried to touch his shoulder but Collin threw him clear into the other room! What do I do? What's wrong with him? I –" Emily's frantic voice came over the phone. The poor woman was hyperventilating.

"Emily, calm down and breathe," I ordered. "What is Collin doing right now?"

"He's just sitting there, staring at the wall like it's the most interesting thing he's ever seen," Emily whispered.

If it was possible, my heart sank lower. "I'll be there in five minutes. Do not, and I repeat, _do not_ touch him. Don't talk to him, don't do anything. Leave him in the kitchen. If he tries to leave, don't stop him, but follow him – from a distance. Don't touch him, I'll be there soon."

I hung up before Emily could answer, and Seth looked at me with wide eyes. "We have a major problem," I said seriously.

We started running towards Emily's place, not even bothering with the car or our coats. The late November air had a wicked bite to it, but neither of us noticed. I explained to Seth what happened, and what I thought would help. He tried to protest, but a look was all he needed to know I wasn't going to back down – and he would want a full explanation and apology later.

Sam was waiting for us on the front porch. I didn't spare him a glance as I blew past him, through the front door, and into the kitchen. Emily and Kim were against some cabinets, watching Collin fearfully as the boy just looked at a wall and smiled. If I didn't know why he was doing that, I would have been severely creeped out.

"How long has he been like this?" I asked them quietly, not looking at them, my full attention focused solely on Collin and their answers.

"About twenty minutes," Emily whispered.

"Damn," I muttered. "Hopefully he hasn't wandered too far."

I took the seat next to Collin, on his right, and took his right hand in both of mine. I withdrew from the physical world, and took a step to the side.

When I entered the Twisted Kingdom last time, it was an uncontrolled plunge. Now that I was calm and not under attack, I could do this the way it was meant to be done: slowly, carefully, always with caution, and _always_ knowing where you were and how to get back.

When I opened my eyes, I no longer saw Emily's quaint little kitchen – I saw a stark landscape of jagged brown rocks towering towards a blood-red sky. A tiny footpath wound its way through the strange land formations. I sighed, and started down the path, calling Collin's name.

* * *

**Oh shit, Collin is trapped in the Twisted Kingdom! And Jez just went in after him! If you want them to get out, you better review...**

**No, I'm not that big of a bitch, they'll get out. It's just a matter of when and how. Also, the poll for the next story I will be writing will be closing soon, so go vote if you haven't already!**

**Much love, please review!**


	17. Into the Abyss

**Alright, we got about eight reviews for last chapter, and they were pretty good reviews. It seems like the questions are really helping you guys, so I'm sorry I didn't post them last chapter. The new questions are at the bottom!**

**Also, the results are in from the poll, and it looks like the sequel to Love Like Crazy is the winner! Message me if you have any questions or requests for the next story.**

**Lastly, I know this chapter is a little short, and I apologize for that. It seemed a good place to stop. The next one will be longer to make up for it.**

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Jez's POV

I lost track of time quickly enough – there was no way to keep tabs here in the Twisted Kingdom. The landscape had changed too many times to count. Right now, it was a softly glowing lavender trail of light travelling through space. I was currently walking on that path past Jupiter.

I tried to ignore everything, respecting the privacy of Collin's mind. But when wandering through the confines of what is essentially someone's mind, you can't help but pick up a few things.

Like Collin was still pissed off at his mother. I don't blame him, but still, he needs to learn to get over it already. He might be meeting her soon. Also, he really liked this girl who sat next to him in his Calculus class. However, he ignored her because he hadn't imprinted on her. I can understand his reasoning there. Leah was enough of an education to teach the boys to be cautious and careful with the hearts of women.

The landscape around me changed again, turning into a field of honey-brown grass that was flowing in a strong breeze. The sky above was caught between dusk and midnight, almost black but holding onto some streaks of blue, purple and green.

Collin sat in the middle of the field, the top of his head barely visible over the grass.

"Hey, Collin," I said carefully, standing behind him about ten feet. He jumped at the sound of my voice, and turned to face me.

"Oh, hey Jez. Isn't this place amazing?" he said calmly, gesturing to the sky above him.

"It's beautiful," I answered, waiting for him to say what he wanted to say – or what he needed to say.

"It's nice here… I don't have to worry about people killing me. I don't have to worry about being different from the other wolves. I don't have to worry about getting through your crazy training. I don't have to worry about my dad being lonely, or my mom not being here, or about the witches that want me dead. There's just me and the sky," he said in a dreamy voice.

"Collin…" I started, choosing my words carefully. "I understand how you feel, but you can't hide here forever. You need to come back to the real world, to sanity. Your father must be very worried. I know Emily is out of her mind with worry for you right now. Everyone is. Don't run away from this Collin. I'll help you get through it, we all will."

"You don't understand!" Collin shouted suddenly, leaping to his feet. "The entire Shadow Circle wants to kill me! And to survive, I'm going to have to kill all of them! My dad hates being alone, but he won't do anything about it. My mom is a no-show that probably thinks she can just waltz back into our lives like nothing happened once everything is over! And it's not enough that I'm a freaking werewolf, no, I'm a witch, too! The only one to ever exist! Why would I want to go back? Why would I ever want to face all of that?"

"Collin, you don't have to face these things alone," I said softly. "I know you're scared, but I'll be beside you through everything. You don't have to destroy the Shadow Circle – your presence is the catalyst for their destruction, not the actual cause. We'll deal with your parents together, and you know your wolf brothers still accept you. If any of them have an issue with you, they will answer to me."

"Huh… no wonder Tia and Nessie chose you to be their High Priestess. You have this way of cutting straight to the point and not letting anyone get away with any shit. You're going to be a great mom someday," Collin said, sounding impressed.

The thought of my children brought back the vision I had had the day I finally accepted Seth as my life. The thought brought those children into being in this world, and my son and daughter ran past us.

"What…?" Collin questioned.

"I had a vision of my life if I chose to be with Seth," I explained, my throat tight. "If we survive long enough, those will be our children, Aidan and Lena."

"Jez…" Collin said lowly. He stood up, walked over to me and drew me into a tight hug. "I'll help make sure they come into existence, Jez. And they'll have both their mom, dad, and crazy assortment of aunts, uncles, and cousins."

"Thank you. I guess that means you're joining our coven," I said hopefully.

"No problem. And yeah, I guess it does. Hey, where are they going?"

"Who?" I asked, completely confused.

"Your future kids. They're running towards something," he said.

"What would they be running towards?" I asked, trying to see where the two children ran off to.

"Let's find out," Collin said, and started running after them.

"No, Collin! That's how you get lost in here forever! You can't – damn him," I gave up shouting and started running after him. It felt like we were running for miles before we finally caught sight of my kids again.

My future children were each standing on either side of a deep purple veil. It was translucent, hanging seemingly from nothing. I couldn't judge how large or small it was – it was constantly changing.

"This is from your mind," Collin said.

"But what is it? I didn't put a veil over any memories or facts of mine," I responded.

"Could the Shadow Circle have put it there, to keep something from you?" he asked quietly.

I growled. "I wouldn't put it past them."

We stood there and stared at it for a few minutes while my children slowly faded away. They waved goodbye before they disappeared, and it made me want to cry.

"They showed us this for a reason," Collin said finally.

"But should I do anything about it?" I asked, terrified of what I might find underneath this veil over my memories.

"Something the Shadow Circle thought was worth hiding?" Collin answered. "Jez, I'm facing my problems out there. You have to face yours in here."

I took a deep breath, thought of Seth and the kids that may never be born, and tore the veil down.

* * *

Seth's POV

"It's almost dawn, and they haven't moved," Sam said quietly. We were both sitting on the front porch, waiting for Jez and Collin to come out of the Twisted Kingdom. I had explained what happened to the others, how Collin must have found out how to find that mental landscape when faced with so many problems in this world, and tried to escape.

"Yeah, they probably won't until they come out of it," I told him just as quietly. I was just as worried as he was, but I wouldn't show it. I knew Jez was going to come back to me.

The crash of chairs falling over and hitting the ground had us leaping to our feet and turning towards the door. Before we could do anything else, Jez flew through the door and threw her arms around me, hanging on for dear life.

"I don't want to talk about it yet," she whispered fervently into my chest, stopping me from asking what was wrong. "I can't. Don't ask me about what happened yet."

I wasn't going to ask her if she was this distressed about it, but there was someone else I could ask. "Collin! What the hell happened?"

"She found a memory the Shadow Circle hid from her," Collin whispered from the doorway. "It's – it's pretty heavy stuff, Seth. Don't ask her about it; let her tell you when she's ready."

"I don't want to talk about it yet," Jez whispered again. "I don't want to be completely sober when we talk about this."

"Let's get you home, Jezzie," I said quietly in her ear, looking at Collin to see if he thought that was best. He nodded.

"Didn't you two run here?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. I'll carry her," I said. I put one arm firmly around her shoulders, then swooped the other arm around her knees, scooping her into the air. I started the long walk home while she shook and shivered in my arms.

Jez didn't say a word until we walked into her backyard. She whispered, "My garden. Please."

All I did was kiss her temple and took her into the garden. It looked as wild and beautiful as usual, but it seemed lacking now that Jez was so upset. Her spirit usually gives this place its magic, but it was painfully obvious her spirit was absent today.

I sat us down beneath the willow tree, beside what she called the scrying pond. It always seemed to be her favorite place to sit in this place. I kept her on my lap, running my fingers through her hair every now and then, just letting her know I was here for her. She just continued to shake like a leaf in a strong wind.

After about an hour, she finally started to try and sit up. I loosened my hold on her, but I'd be damned if I was letting go of her. She didn't protest, and instead snuggled closer.

"What am I going to do?" she whispered in a tortured voice.

"About what, sweetheart? Let me help," I whispered in her ear.

"I'm the Queen," she said so quietly, I almost didn't hear her. Almost.

"Yeah, you were a queen a bunch of times in our past lives," I answered. Actually, now that I thought about it, no matter what I was in the story, Jez always ended up a queen of some kind.

"No, Seth, I'm the Queen right now! I'm the new Witch Queen."

* * *

**Ohs noes! A cliffhanger! For everyone who didn't understand that last line, Jezebel is the Witch Queen in the same way her previously life (also named Jezebel) was the Queen. Which means she is the ultimate power in the witching world. Kind of a big title to carry around, and Jez doesn't like being responsible for the life of every witch alive.**

**Alright, questions for the reviews! First: What do you guys think about Jez being the Witch Queen? Do you think it's a fun twist, or a predictable mess? Second: What did you think about Collin's development in this chapter? Third: Did you like the imagery from the Twisted Kingdom? And fourth: Any questions or predictions?**

**Please review! I'll update as soon as I can!**


	18. The Truth is Hard to Swallow

**So, I'm totally procrastinating. I'm supposed to be writing about Beowulf and Superman right now (do not ask), but I just had to write this chapter. The beginning is a little heavy, but there's some humor at the end. Not along author's note this time, so read on!**

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Seth's POV

"No, Seth, I'm the Queen right now! I'm the new Witch Queen."

I was quiet for a minute, because I had no idea what that means or why she was so upset about it. Would she think I'm a complete dick for asking her to explain?

Probably. But she'll be even more upset if I pretend to know what she's talking about.

"Sweetheart, I don't know what that means," I tried to say as soothingly as possible, but I'm pretty sure I failed. Jez's eyes narrowed, and I knew for a fact that I failed.

"The Witch Queen appears in this world during times of great turmoil for the witches. That former life, also named Jezebel, was the Queen during that time period. It was turmoil for witches when the Volturi tried to wipe us out. She was sent to help the witches survive. Apparently, the discovery of Collin is a sign of turmoil to come, and now _I'm_ responsible for _every witch alive_," Jez whispered in a tortured voice.

Alright, that's thousands of lives on my Jez's shoulders. Her terror is understandable. After all, a few months ago, Jez never had to worry about anyone but herself. Then she got a family with me, Nessie, Tia, the pack, and the Cullens. She took that expansion pretty well, considering. But this? Hell, _I_ would be freaked out!

I couldn't think of anything comforting to say. Hell, I couldn't think of anything to say, period. So I just pulled Jez back into my arms, and let her freak out and cry for as long as she needed.

By the time Jez finally pulled away from me and sat up, the sun was already high in the sky. Instead of seeing tears or anguish on her face, though, I saw fierce determination.

"I've made my decision," she said in a voice that rang with force and authority.

"There was a decision you had to make?" I asked, completely confused. Then again, I always feel confused whenever the word _witch_ pops up in a conversation.

"Yes. I've decided that while I don't want to be the Queen, I don't trust anyone else with the job. So I'll do it myself. And may the Goddess help whoever gets in my way, because I won't take any shit from anyone," Jez said fiercely, and I fell in love all over again. She was so confident, so strong, even when faced with such adversity. How could I not love her?

"I love you," I said simply.

She looked at me with an expression I couldn't read. It looked like she had come to a decision about something, but I had no idea what it was or what the conclusion was.

"Move in with me," was all she said, a fierce light in her eyes that were so full of love.

"Move in?" I gasped. That was _not_ what I was expecting. At all. "We've only technically been together two weeks, and –"

"Seth, we're going to be together for the rest of eternity. You are my soul mate, and I'm your imprint. Are you honestly not sure about this?"

"No, I want to move in with you!" I corrected quickly. "I just don't see what the big rush is. Like you said, we have eternity. Don't we?"

I'm really glad I asked that question, because there was a dark flash in her eyes that said we might not.

"Jez?" I prompted her.

"I came to another decision, as well," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "As the Queen, I cannot vow allegiance to any one Circle. I must stand for every witch's rights. Which means I must leave the Shadow Circle."

"Okay. Go on," I prompted again, terrified at where this conversation was going.

"There are laws for how to join and leave a Circle," Jez explained. "You have to give blood to get in, and you have to give blood to get out. When you join the Circle, it's only an ounce of blood or so. But when you leave… they get to take as much as they see fit."

"So they'll…" I tried to finish the sentence for her, but my voice wouldn't work. Even saying it was too painful.

"They'll bleed me dry," Jez finished for me. "Like I said, there are rules. One of them is that a witch must be able to walk away from the Circle meeting on her own. So they can't bleed me completely dry. I have to be able to walk away."

"But you can bleed out later," I whispered.

"It's a risk I have to take. Not just for you and me," she added.

"Who else? Nessie and Tia?" I asked. It didn't seem like Jez would risk so much for them.

"Did I ever show you my vision of the future? The one that finally showed me how much I wanted a future with you?" Jez asked, her eyes looking off into the distance. "In it, I saw what our life might be in ten years or so. If we survive all of this, we'll eventually have kids. A son named Aidan, and a daughter named Lena. I'm doing this so all four of us can have that happy life I saw."

"We're gonna have kids?" I asked quietly, not quite believing it. Jez pressed her palm against the side of my face, and the vision flowed into my mind like a lost memory. I saw Jez coming home from work, greeting two children who were perfect mixtures of the two of us. I felt the love and the joy the four of us shared.

"Yeah, we're gonna have kids," I confirmed, smiling widely. This was all so amazing, I almost couldn't believe it. But I had been with Jez long enough to know it was true.

"If we survive all of this," Jez added.

"We will," I said firmly. I wasn't going to think about what would happen if we didn't. I couldn't.

"So… since our time together might be limited, I figured why wait to move in," Jez said oh-so casually.

"Let's go pack my stuff. Mom is going to freak, though," I said, laughing loudly. That was an understatement.

"I think Leah will be worse," Jez giggled. _God_, I love that giggle! It was so damn cute…

"Let's just hope she's not home," I said. Jez agreed.

Then she smiled and said, "Race ya!"

She took off running towards La Push, and I was forced to follow. No, not forced. I was more than happy to follow her anywhere. But I forgot that we might need a vehicle to transport my stuff in.

* * *

Jez and I reached my house in record time. We started laughing like idiots as we walked through the kitchen door, unable to contain our joy.

My mom's shocked face helped me contain mine quickly enough, though.

"Oh, hey Mom," I greeted her nervously. Jez continued to smile like the Cheshire cat, her arm casually thrown around my waist.

"Hello," she said confusedly, looking between me and Jez, waiting for an explanation.

Jez looked at me and said, "Well, tell her the good news!"

Which was probably the worst thing you could say to my mother. Because the first thing out of Sue Clearwater's mouth was, "Oh my God! You're pregnant? But you've only been together two weeks!"

Jez blinked. "Um, no. Still a virgin, sugar. I meant something a little less… oh hell, Seth, just tell her before she starts thinking she's a grandmother."

"I'm moving in with Jez," I managed to choke out. I didn't think telling my mom would be this hard…

My mom just sat there and stared at me. Her mouth opened and closed convulsively, like she wanted to say something, but thought better of it. Eventually she finally said in a pleading voice, "Isn't it a little… soon? I mean, you just started getting to know one another a few weeks ago, and Jez was unconscious for half of it… Don't you think you should… I don't know… wait a little longer?"

"Listen sugar, we're pretty sure I've got a week to live, and I am _not_ spending it without him," Jez said fiercely. That I'm-the-Queen-and-I'm-going-to-get-what-I-want look was in her eyes, and I needed to step in _now_ before my mother got offended. I did not want problems between my mother and her future daughter-in-law.

My mother just sat there and looked shocked. "A week? Only a week? How am I supposed to get grandbabies in only a week?"

"You're a little baby crazy, don't you think?" Jez commented lightly. I shot Jez a look that said, _please shut up_ and turned back to my mother.

"We're not sure Leah can have kids, so I'm kind of my mom's only hope for grandkids. Mom, she has to deal with her old Circle, and they might kill her. She… wait, what are the chances of you coming back alive, anyways?" I asked, realizing she never told me.

"About fifty-fifty," Jez said simply. My mother continued to stare at her in shock.

"How can you be so casual about your own life? You know that if you die, my son will, too, right?" my mother brilliantly pointed out.

"All possible consequences have been taken into account," Jez said, her voice thick. It was obvious that while her life had little to no meaning to her, my life meant everything.

"What could possibly be worth both of your lives?" my mother asked snappishly.

"The grandchildren you want so damn badly," Jez snapped back. "If you want them to even have a chance at existing, I have to do this."

"I think Seth and I need to have a talk – alone," my mother said firmly. Jez nodded, and went into the living room.

I collapsed into a kitchen chair next to my mother. "Why did you have to goad her?"

"What? I didn't goad her into anything. I just wanted to make sure she knew what she was doing, and that _you_ knew what _she_ was doing," my mom hissed.

"Mom, never doubt that Jez loves me just as much as I love her," I sighed. I knew this conversation would be difficult, but I had no idea it would be this bad. "She knows what she's doing. And it really is for the best."

"Well, we'll see," my mom said in a voice that said she wasn't going to back down, but wouldn't press the point further. "After all, you're twenty-two. I certainly can't control you anymore."

"No, but you can make my life hell if I don't listen to you," I laughed.

"True," she sighed. "Let's start packing up your stuff."

The staircase up to the bedrooms was in the living room where Jez was sitting on the couch, flipping through one of Leah's fashion magazines. "All taken care of," was all she said as we passed.

When we got to my room, we figured out why.

"What… where is everything?" my mom whispered. My entire room was empty. All of the posters were gone, my dirty clothes on the floor had vanished, and there wasn't a trace of the furniture.

I figured it out – and accepted it – long before my mother did. We walked back to the living room, my mother looking dazed.

"Should I even ask how?" I asked Jez lightly.

She glanced up from her magazine, flicked her hand towards the ground, and my side table appeared. Another flick, and it vanished.

My mother's eyes were wide, and her mouth was slightly open.

I just looked at Jez and said, "God, I love you."

She just smiled back at me.

* * *

**I don't know why, but I love this chapter. It was so easy to write. So, questions! First: Is anyone still confused? I know wingless angel has voiced her confusion a few times (but she doesn't have an account, so I have no idea how to explain everything to her), so ask questions, and I will answer them either in a pm or in the author's note at the beginning of the next chapter. Second: What did you think of Sue's behavior? I know from experience that mothers have a hard time letting go, and mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law are bound to butt heads. Third: Do you guys want to see more of Collin and Nessie's training, or more Seth-and-Jez interactions? Fourth: Any predictions? I love reading these. Sometimes they're better than what I came up with originally.**

**As always, much love and review!**


	19. Bleeding in a Phone Booth

**Hey, everyone! School is kicking my ass right now, but I figured you guys deserved a new chapter. After all, I got a decent amount of reviews last chapter. Not as many as I would have liked, but a fair few. Plus, we're over 150 reviews now! Whoo!**

**Now, to the anonymous reviewer Esther, who seems to think Jez is a Mary-Sue: I took your quiz, and no, Jez is not a Mary-Sue. She's pushing it, but she's not. And yes, I was completely honest on the test. Jez got a 17. Thank you for your concern.**

* * *

Jez's POV

"Nessie, tuck your arms in! Collin, use your size against her! You're twice as big! Nessie, move! You're faster than he is! For the Goddess's sake, use the advantages given to you!" I shouted suggestions (more like commands) to my witches-in-training. I leaned back on the steps of my back porch, watching them spar while Seth and I ate a delicious lunch.

"They've really improved over the past two weeks, you know," Seth reminded me as he gave me a bite of chicken. It was so good, I almost forgot to answer.

"They're alright," I said dismissively, but I knew he was right. Nessie was improving quickly, and, in the fighting area, Collin was making leaps and bounds. This last week, especially, had been downright impressive on his part.

"Jezzie… we've been over this…" Seth warned.

"Fine, they're fucking fantastic. I can't believe how fast they're progressing. There, happy?" I asked, stealing another bite of chicken. Goddess, this shit was _amazing_.

"Delighted. So, is there anything else you want them to know before you take off tomorrow morning?" Seth asked lightly, but there were shadows in his eyes. He hated talking about my imminent departure. In fact, he usually tried to avoid talking about it at all costs.

"I've taught them everything I can in the time I've been given. Anything more would just overwhelm and confuse them," I answered, watching Seth carefully. This past week living with him had not only been the happiest of my life, but it had taught me quite a bit about Seth and how his mind worked. I knew him well enough to know he didn't bring this up casually.

Seth frowned. "I don't like this. You going away to meet them, all alone. You won't even let me go with you. You won't let _anyone_ go with you."

"Of course I'm going alone. Collin, knees! I won't endanger any of the people I've come to consider my family – and just coming with me to the city is endangering them," I said.

"What about Collin's knees?"

"Oh, he wasn't bending them. When your knees aren't bent, you can't move as easily," I explained my mid-explanation outburst.

"Right… so…" Seth trailed off. Yeah, he _definitely_ had something on his mind.

"Spit it out, baby."

"Tia was saying something last night, about all of this. She was surprised I was just letting you do this," Seth began, watching Nessie and Collin intently.

"And?" I prompted.

"She was surprised I wasn't trying to… you know… talk you out of it."

"You tried. It didn't work."

"Yeah… so I decided… if I couldn't get you to just stay… there's… I want something in return. You know, compromise," Seth finally blurted out.

"Alright, what do you want?" I asked calmly. Seth was still avoiding my eyes.

"Marriage."

"What?"

"Not now!" Seth explained quickly. "And not even when you get back! Just, eventually, I want to marry you. In a couple of years or something. Just promise me that we will eventually get married."

"I guess… alright. I'll marry you. Eventually," I said with a smile. Seth's answering smile lit up the world.

"You are too damn cute for your own good," I muttered, stealing another bite of chicken. "Did you sprinkle crack on this stuff?"

"No, why?"

"Because it is too good to be natural. Do we have more?" I asked eagerly. Seth just gave me a bittersweet smile.

"Yeah, we've got more."

* * *

I said all of my goodbyes the night before. Now, Seth and I were watching the sun rise together, holding hands on my front porch. I hadn't been able to sleep last night. Neither had he. We just cuddled on my bed, staring into one another's eyes, wondering if we would ever have another night together.

And no, we didn't sleep together. Hell, we haven't even touched second base. It just wasn't the time to start anything like that. Not right now.

I hadn't realized how hard those goodbyes were going to be until I said them. Tia had bawled, trying again and again to make me promise I would come back. I just held her, knowing I couldn't make her a promise I couldn't keep. Nessie stood there with silent tears, trying to act strong. I hated leaving them alone, but I trusted Jake and Embry enough to take care of them.

It was hard to believe that just a few months ago I thought all men were monsters that couldn't be trusted with anything worth protecting. Now, I was trusting two men with the lives of my coven, my Sisters. It just reminded me how quickly things could change.

I had never hated watching the sun rise before this morning. Now the sun marked the end of a chapter of my life, and I had no idea if I would get to start the next.

Seth pulled me into a tight hug, clinging to me like his life depended on it.

"I can't let you do this, Jezzie. I can't lose you! You don't have to go, we'll run away, just the two of us, and –"

"And we'll never be safe," I cut him off. "We'll never be able to stand still, never trust that there could be a tomorrow. We'll never see our friends or family again, and we'll never be safe enough to bring our kids into this world. Seth, I love you, but this has to be done. For both of us. For Aidan and Lena."

"I –" Seth tried to say something, but choked off and just buried his face into my shoulder. I held onto him for another few minutes, unable to step away and do what needed to be done.

This was all so unfair. Seth deserved someone who could stay by his side forever. He didn't deserve this emotional rollercoaster I put him through. He… deserved me if I had never found the Shadow Circle. Any other Circle would have allowed me this. The White Circle would have been overjoyed at our union. The Rowan Circle would be happy for me, and excited at the possibility of shape-shifters returning to the world. There were about a dozen other Circles scattered throughout the world, and I doubt any of them would want me dead for loving Seth.

I took a deep breath, inhaling Seth's wonderful scent one last time. I pulled back and kissed him fiercely, one last time. I whispered, "I love you," one last time.

I pulled myself from Seth's warm embrace and ran to my car. I refused to look at Seth again, knowing that if I dared one last glance, my resolve would crumble and I would never leave his side again.

"I love you, Jezzie! Come back to me soon!" I heard Seth's voice call to me. I gripped the handle of the driver's side door, and looked back.

Seth was waving to me, tears streaming down his face with a wide smile. I smiled and waved back, knowing he would be waiting for me when I returned. Because I would return, I promised Seth silently as I got into my car and sped towards the highway. I wouldn't leave him alone, and it was going to take more than the Shadow Circle to keep us apart.

* * *

Los Angeles was a dark, bleak city at night. Of course, I was far away from the bright, tourist-friendly parts of the town. The abandoned warehouses I was driving towards weren't exactly a mini-Disneyland.

Had Seth ever been to Disneyland? If he hadn't, I was taking him as soon as possible. We could go during winter break.

I shook thoughts about happy times with Seth out of my mind for the moment. I needed to focus on getting out of this alive.

I had left my Mustang at the airport, taking a rental car here so my baby wouldn't get damaged in this shady neighborhood. It was a Toyota Prius. Goddess, I hate this thing. It had absolutely no horsepower.

I didn't bother locking it, knowing it was going to get stolen no matter what I did. I headed into a shabby warehouse with broken windows and crumbling brick walls.

The Shadow Circle was arranged in a loose circle (where did you think the term 'Circle' came from?), waiting for my arrival. The head hags stood opposite me, their black cloaks swirling behind them. Including the hags, there were about a hundred witches here tonight. No one else arrived in their circle regalia, meaning this was either an informal meeting, or an emergency meeting. My guess was the latter.

"Merry meet, Sisters," I greeted them all, hiding my nerves easily. To them I was the typical calm, collected Jezebel Blackheart that didn't give a damn. The opposite was true. Too much was riding on this meeting. There were some things I could tell the Circle – and some things that I had to take to my grave.

"Merry meet, Sister Jezebel," Raven greeted me as she walked into the middle of the circle to stand next to me. The witches around us watched us carefully. They knew Raven and I weren't close. They knew something big was happening tonight – they just didn't know what.

"Sister Jezebel, welcome," one of the hags greeted me eagerly. "We are delighted you are here to join us this evening. We have much to discuss."

"Yes, we do," I replied ominously. "I would like to know why the Circle has been tapping into my excess power supply."

The hags looked at one another for a moment, then turned back to me.

"Yes, well, since your power supply is so vast, we hoped you wouldn't mind if we occasionally borrowed –"

"You didn't borrow my power. You can't borrow power when you never asked if you could borrow it to begin with, and you had no intention of replacing it. This was a blatant disregard of our laws, and my personal being," I snapped.

The other witches in the room were starting to look nervous. Whether it was because I knew they had been stealing my power, or the idea that someone else was stealing other witches' power, I couldn't tell.

"Are you sure?" Raven whispered to me, looking very unnerved. She was second-strongest to me; her power was next in line for someone to steal.

"There is no doubt in my mind that one of the Sisters here stole my power. Will anyone come forward and admit to such an act?" I asked loudly. I didn't expect anyone to admit to it, but this was a process.

No one moved. Everyone's eyes simply darted around the room, waiting for someone to speak up. No one came forward.

"It is clear to me now that this Circle has been using me," I called out. "You have used me as your weapon, with blatant disregard to my own safety and wishes. I have reason to believe you did not rescue me from the streets, but someone from this Circle kidnapped me from my family. I cannot continue to call the women in this Circle Sisters because of these atrocities, and I will not jeopardize you by remaining a disloyal member."

I took a deep breath, and took the plunge. "I wish to leave the Circle. Permanently."

Gasps and whispers started immediately. One of the hags eventually called order.

"Sister Jezebel," the hag said in a sweet, persuading tone. "You don't have to leave. We will find who has been taking your power, and –"

"Have you heard nothing?" I cried out. "This Circle took me from my family! How can I trust _anyone_ from this Circle again?"

"You can't," Raven said quietly, still beside me.

"Exactly. I can't trust anyone here, so I will leave the Circle. Does anyone wish to stop me?"

No one said a word. The hags glanced at one another fearfully.

"Alright then. Let's get this over with," I said fiercely.

"Good luck," Raven said quietly as she walked back to join the circle.

I pulled off my clothes until I was in nothing but my bra, an undershirt tank-top, and my underwear. They were the black lace ones I had put on for Seth this morning. That last memory of him waving from our front porch, him smiling and hopeful, steeled my resolve.

About ten witches approached me, including the three hags, each one holding a glittering dagger in her hand. One of the hags stood in front of me.

"Are you certain this is what you want?" she asked ominously.

"Yes, I'm certain," I answered proudly.

She dragged her dagger's blade along my cheekbone, making a shallow, three-inch-long cut.

I thought about Seth while the others descended upon me with their daggers. They made more of those shallow, couple-inches-long cuts all over my body. I blocked out the pain, ignored the queasy dizziness that accompanied the blood loss, with my memories of Seth. Seth trying to teach me to cook. Seth looking terrified whenever we drove into town. Seth getting me to dance with him in the aisles of the grocery store.

It took ten minutes for me to fall to my knees. By then they were almost finished. I thought I heard Raven tell me to stay strong, but I could be mistaken. There were hundreds of cuts all over my body, maybe over a thousand. I lost count ages ago.

The witches took their dear, sweet time. They wanted it to last. They wanted me to suffer. I smiled.

Then, one of them said, "She's starting to sway."

"Yes," one of the hags said. "Yes, I think we're done here. Let's see the boy bow to her now."

They parted, giving me a clear path to the door. If I didn't make it there, I would die for sure. If I did make it, I had a slim chance. But it was still a chance. After all, I could feel their influence in my mind slowly dissipate. Whatever veils or bindings they had put on my mind and power were gone.

I somehow got to my feet. Everything but the path and the door were blurry. I took one shaky step. Then another. Then another. With each step, I thought of Seth.

It felt like hours as I slowly, painfully made my way to the door. The room was spinning, but the door was right there.

I don't know how I did it. It didn't seem physically possible. I shouldn't be alive, with all of the blood I've lost. But not only was I alive, I was standing in the doorway. I touched the doorjamb, not quite believing I had made it.

Now I just had to keep going.

I got another ten feet before I collapsed. The concrete sidewalk was filthy, but there was nothing I could do about it. I let my power surge into my limbs, and I slowly pushed to my hands and knees.

"Hm, she's kneeling before us. Right where she belongs," I heard one of the hags say. Bitches.

I heard their footsteps as the Circle walked away. My entire body was shaking just from the effort of staying up. There was no way I would make it.

"Get up, Jez. You're better than this," Raven said. Her feet suddenly came into view as she knelt beside me.

"If I could, I would," I snapped at her.

"Please, I've seen you do things that are much more impressive than standing up."

"Like leave the Circle?" I asked slyly. She wasn't here to shoot the shit with me. She was kneeling next to me for a reason.

"Yeah, like leaving the Circle. You know, you are one crazy bitch. No one else would've had the balls to stand up to the hags like that. Do you really think one of them stole some of your energy?"

"No, I think all three of the hags and some others have been stealing my power," I answered blatantly. Now that I was gone, Raven was probably next. She should at least get a fair warning as to what might be waiting for her.

"You want to call your coven and let them know you're not coming home?" Raven asked deftly. I knew what she was saying: my injuries were too severe. I wasn't going back to Washington.

Seth…

"Yeah. You got a cell phone?" I asked, already knowing she didn't. We were forbidden from bringing cell phones to Circle gatherings because someone might be able to track us through them. We weren't even allowed to tell non-Circle members the city the meeting was taking place in, hence why I couldn't bring anyone with me to LA.

"No, but there's a pay phone down the street. I'll get you there, but after that, I'm gone. Don't want the hags thinking I'm a traitor," Raven said. I didn't blame her.

"Sounds good."

Raven used a spell to make me float in the air. She pushed me over to a disgustingly dirty pay phone booth. She carefully set me down inside.

"Ugh, I don't want to know how many diseases are getting in through the wounds," I muttered.

"Don't worry, you won't be alive long enough to find out," Raven said sadly. She handed me about three dollars in change and walked away.

I briefly wondered why Raven was not only tolerating me tonight, but actually being sort of friendly. Then I looked at the pool of blood beneath me, and I shook it from my mind. I had more important things to do.

I called my house phone first. It rang until voicemail picked up.

Where else would Seth be? His mother's house?

I called that number next, praying he would answer.

"Hello?"

Only it wasn't Seth who answered – it was Leah, and she was _not_ happy.

"Is Seth there?" I gasped out. The world was still spinning, and I didn't know how much longer I had among the living.

"No. Who is this?" Leah snapped.

"His imprint," I snapped back. "I'm in LA, I'm bleeding all over a disgusting phone booth, and I want to talk to Seth before I die. _Where is he?_"

"I don't know." Then she hung up.

"God, what a bitch," I muttered. Who to call next?

Might as well call Nessie.

Her cell phone picked up almost instantly. But instead of Nessie, someone else answered.

"Jezzie? Jezzie, is that you?" Seth's panicked voice sounded like… well, like the best thing in this world.

"Yeah, baby, it's me," I sighed, giddy with relief.

"Alice, you're the best person in the world! Jezzie, how are you? Are you alright? When are you coming home?" he asked, still sounding panicky.

I took a deep breath. "Baby, I'm not coming home."

"What?" Seth's voice sounded so tiny and fragile all of a sudden.

"The wounds… were a lot worse than I thought they were going to be. I've got a few minutes left. I called to say goodbye," I said softly.

There was an agonizing cry, then Carlisle's voice came over the phone. "Jezebel, where are you right now?"

"A dirty phone booth, bleeding everywhere. Goddess, this is disgusting. Don't bother, Carlisle, I'm far away and I doubt you could save me even if you were here," I said. It was true. My senses, and my body, were shutting down. "Tell Seth… tell him… I love him… okay?"

The phone slipped from my hand, hitting the glass side of the booth. I thought I heard Seth's voice again, calling, "I love you, too! Jezzie, hold on! I love you, too!"

But then a shadow loomed over me and the phone booth, one with pale white skin and eyes darkened from thirst.

"You have got to be shitting me," I muttered darkly.

* * *

**And yes, my lovely readers, a vampire has found Jez as she's dying. Questions! First: Since Esther was convinced Jez was a Mary-Sue, I would like your opinions. Do you think Jez is a Mary-Sue? Second: What did you think of the Circle meeting? Boring? Interesting? Lame? Pretty frickin' cool? Third: How do you think Seth will react when he finds out how Leah treated Jez on the phone? 'Cause he WILL find out. Fourth: Since we all know Jez isn't going to die (not yet, at least!), any predictions?**

**Thank you for reading, and please review!**


	20. Recovery

**So, I haven't updated in about a month. And I apologize for that. In my defense, I'm taking a huge load of coursework in college right now, trying to find a job, trying to find a new apartment, trying to pick a college to transfer to, and too many other things to count. Plus, I just haven't felt very inspired lately. This chapter kind of sucks, I know, but it's important for plot development. This chapter is dedicated to There'sAlwaysAHappilyEverAfter, because her review was so long and helpful, I felt like a failure if I didn't update. So, thank her, and read on!**

* * *

Seth's POV

"I love you, too! Jezzie, hold on! I love you, too!" I called into the phone, sobbing. She couldn't die. She couldn't. Jez was too strong, too vibrant, too _alive_ to die. She wouldn't leave me like this. She loved me.

"Seth… I'm so sorry," Jake said thickly. I was being hugged by someone, but I couldn't bring myself to care who it was. They were warm, so it wasn't a vamp.

"Leah is on her way," Edward said. Why would I care about Leah at a time like this? My whole world had just fallen apart. Jez couldn't be gone, she just couldn't…

More of the wolves came to hug me. We had all gathered at the Cullens' house tonight, so I wouldn't have to wait for Jez alone. They were doing their best to distract me, then Alice had a vision – Jez was going to call Nessie's cell phone. Jez had sounded so exhausted, but she had been tired before. She was going to get through this. She had to.

"Leah," Edward hissed.

I finally raised my head. Most of the wolves were gathered around me, staring at the backdoor where Leah had just walked in. Edward was glaring at Leah like she had caused World War III.

"Jez called the house phone," Leah said shortly. "She said she was dying and wanted to talk to you. Thought I would let you know."

"She was able to contact us through Nessie's phone," Edward snapped. What had gotten into him?

Bella touched Edward's arm, clearly wanting an answer to my question.

"Leah… doesn't approve of your imprint, Seth. She was quite… unpleasant… to Jezebel when she called your house," Edward said carefully.

"Leah, what the fuck?" I shouted, jumping to my feet. I knew what Leah being 'unpleasant' meant. "Jez might be dying, and you treat her like shit? That is so fucking typical of you!"

"Shut up, Seth! I hope she's dead! She's a horrible person and she's no good for you!" Leah screamed back at me. "She put you through hell, and you just take her back without a second thought! No one else seems to remember how miserable you were, but I do! That bitch got what she deserved!"

"Wait, Leah, what was that?" Edward said, his head tilted to the side as he tried to listen to her thoughts. "Did Jez tell you where she is?"

"Yeah, she said she was bleeding all over some phone booth in LA," Leah said confusedly.

"LA? Leah, you're the best big sister ever!" I cried out, and ran over to Leah to pull her into a tight hug. She just continued looking confused, but I couldn't care less.

We knew where Jez was.

* * *

Jez's POV

"Really?" I muttered. "This is how I'm going to die? By the hands of some filthy bloodsucker in a disgusting phone booth? Goddess, you are a cruel bitch sometimes…"

"Are these cuts your only injuries?" the vamp asked, his voice a lot kinder than I thought it would be. He continued to slowly approach, and that's when I saw his eyes. They were gold.

Wait, what?

"You're a vegetarian?" I asked incredulously. The vamp let out a small chuckle.

"I've never heard it called that before, but I feed only on the blood of animals," he answered. "My wife had a vision that a young, important witch was going to die unless I came here. Your wounds look shallow enough, that's good. Rhea will be able to heal those easily."

"Fantastic," I muttered under my breath, knowing he would hear me.

I felt him pick me up carefully, but it still hurt like a wicked bitch. Sometime between leaving the phone booth and arriving… wherever we were going… I passed out.

My last thought before passing out was something to the effect of, _"If this douchebag eats me, I am going to be sooo pissed."_

* * *

When I woke up, I had no idea where I was. I kept my eyes closed and my muscles relaxed so if I was with some enemy, they would continue to think I was asleep – and vulnerable. I was tucked into a soft bed with just a sheet over me.

"Oh, good! You're finally awake," a female voice said. It wasn't surprising. I was terrible at stealth. At least, I was when it came to other witches.

"Yep. So, where am I?" I asked politely as I sat up. The woman – witch – that I was speaking to had long blonde hair, kind blue eyes, and pink lips curved into a smile. She wore a simple white tunic shirt and dark brown trousers. She was rather lovely.

The room was simple enough. There was a window beside my bed I could easily fit through if I had to escape. The woman was standing in the doorway. There was another door, but it looked like it led to a closet.

"You're in the guest bedroom of my home," the woman answered. Then she sighed. "Do you always make a danger assessment whenever you are in an unfamiliar place?"

"What? Oh, sugar, I do that in my own home," I laughed. A danger assessment – when you search a room or house for exits, barriers, traps, and the like. Some witches did it only when in hostile territory. I did it whenever I was in any unfamiliar environment, whether friendly or hostile.

"I am sorry. It is quite depressing to see such a young witch so distrustful of the world around her," the witch said. "My name is Rhea. What were you doing near the Shadow Circle's meeting place?"

"I used to be a member," I said, a small smile spreading across my face. I was finally free, and I was alive. Seth would be so – Seth!

"Do you need to let anyone know you survived the process of leaving?" Rhea asked kindly.

"Yes! If I find out he hurt himself because I told him I wouldn't make it, I will beat his ass from here to Hanoi!" I hissed.

Rhea handed me a phone, and I dialed Nessie's number again. It rang five times before voicemail picked up. I silently cursed. The beep finally told me to leave a message.

"Nessie! Tell Seth if he hurts himself, I will kick his ass, you hear me? I'm perfectly fine, I'll survive, and if I find out he hasn't, I'll burn this world to the ground and blame him! Keep him safe, Nessie!" I said furiously into the phone, and hung up.

Rhea just stood there, staring at me. "Well, I think you made your point clear enough. Now, I need you to stay still while I change your bandages, alright?"

"Sure," I said, and set the phone down on a side table.

It was a long process, since I was covered in shallow cuts from head to toe. But eventually, they were all changed and I got to see the extent of the damage.

"So, am I going to have any long-term handicaps from this?" I asked lightly, but I'm certain she could hear the fear in my voice.

"As long as you do what I say in the proper order and time frame, you'll be as you were before the injury," Rhea said confidently.

I heaved a huge sigh of relief.

"You'll be able to head home in about three to four days, depending on your rate of recovery. Of course, you'll need to take it easy for a few weeks. There is still some healing going on underneath the skin," Rhea said while she started gathering the old bandages. "Oh, and I told Henry to stay downstairs while you're here. I didn't want him to frighten you."

"He won't frighten me, if you're talking about the vamp that brought me here," I corrected her quickly. "One of my Sisters in Washington is a half vampire. Both of her parents are vampires now. I get along with them and their family well enough."

"Really? How is that possible? A human and a vampire," Rhea said quietly, almost longingly. And then it clicked.

"How long have you and… Henry… been together?" I asked curiously.

Rhea's smile grew soft and her eyes stared off into the distance, like she was remembering a good memory. "Almost seventy years now. We've estimated my power will let me live another twelve to thirteen hundred years, and we'll stay by one another's side until then."

"Doesn't he want to turn you? So you can have eternity?" I asked. I was overstepping my boundaries, I knew, but I was too damn curious. A witch and a vampire in love was a rare thing.

"No. He knows I would go mad within months of not being able to feel the power of the earth. I would never be able to heal again. He's accepted my choice to die when the Goddess sees fit," Rhea said with a sad smile. "If you're up to it, I think he would like to meet you."

"I should thank him for saving my life, I suppose," I said with a sigh. Rhea giggled at my exaggeration and left the room.

I leaned back on the bed and sighed, this time a happy sigh. I was free. The Shadow Circle no longer had any control over me. And they no longer had any lawful reason to hurt Seth. For the first time since the Circle found me as a child, I was free.

The phone Rhea had let me borrow to call Nessie suddenly started ringing, and I hesitated to answer it. After all, it wasn't my phone, and Rhea might have some weird thing with other people answering her phone. Or it might be an enemy, and I really don't want to deal with any enemies until I can lose the bandages. They're really restricting my movement.

The phone stopped ringing, and my dilemma over good manners was removed. Until, of course, Rhea called from downstairs, "It's for you, Jezebel!"

Shit. Well, here's hoping it's Nessie calling back. I picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"

"JEZZIE? JEZZIE! IS THAT YOU?" I heard Seth scream into the phone at the loudest volume his deep voice was capable of. It sounded better than a choir of angels to me.

"Babe, calm down," I said, laughing. "You're gonna break Nessie's phone."

"I'll buy her a new one! Are you okay? Are you alright? How are you? WHERE ARE YOU?"

I wish I could say I just told him where I was. But instead, I just laughed like a maniac. Because I was free. And he was safe. And we had forever to be together.

"I'm fine, babe, I'm fine," I reassured him as soon as I could control myself again. Rhea watched me from the doorway in Henry's arms, a smile on both of their faces. "Where are you?"

"Leah told us you were in LA, so we just got off the plane. We're at… hey Jake, what's this airport called again?" There was a pause. "LAX, we're at the LAX airport place."

"Tell whoever came with you to go home. I'll be there in an hour. I'll meet you there, okay?"

"See you soon, Jezzie," Seth answered thickly.

"See you soon. Love you."

"Love you, too."

I hung up and turned to Rhea and Henry. "So, do you guys need anything before I take off?" I asked.

"Just promise us you'll be careful," Henry said.

"Will do."

And with that, Rhea took me to the airport where I would be reunited with my Seth.

* * *

**Yay, Jez isn't dead and she's on her way to see Seth! Happy ending, right? Not even close. We still have a ways to go with this story, and updates are going to be sporadic at best. So, please answer the questions below in a review!**

**First, how boring was this chapter? I was bored writing it, so I have no idea how horrible it was for you. Second, do you think Seth should stay pissed off at Leah longer, or should he forgive her? I know it isn't easy for Seth to hold a grudge, but what Leah did was pretty messed up, and in his book, Jez comes first. I can't decide. Third, any predictions or suggestions?**

**Thanks for reading, please review!**


	21. Preparing for the End

**So, not too bad of an update time. Unfortunately, reviews were scarce last chapter, so I'm kind of wondering if only five or six people are still even reading this. I know that the fans who still do read this love it a lot, so I won't stop writing. Besides, we're getting towards the end anyways. About two to three chapters left, then an epilogue. Then I start writing the sequel to Love Like Crazy! By the way, any ideas for a name for the sequel? I'm kind of coming up blank. Anywho, read on!**

* * *

Jez's POV

I was back in my Mustang and loving it. Thankfully, it had been unharmed during its brief stay in the city. I was still kind of surprised about that, but I couldn't really bring myself to care. I was on my way to see Seth!

I could talk about how badly I wanted to see him, and how much I'm looking forward to seeing him, but that would make even me depressed with the sickly sweetness of my emotions.

Rhea was already on her way home after dropping me off by my car. I'm still not sure how a vampire and witch could get along and fall in love (and stay in love; apparently, they've been together for over a hundred years). Sure, Seth and I have our differences. But we still both have beating hearts, and a love for life and peace. And shiny muscle cars.

Seth and I were meeting in one of the multiple parking lot buildings scattered around LAX. I think I pissed a few people off when I cut in front of them and went at least ninety miles per hour on the freeway, but I just couldn't bring myself to care.

LAX was probably one of the most convoluted places to exist. Trying to navigate the multiple on-ramps, off-ramps, turns, and forks in the road were damn near impossible. How do normal humans do it? My super-human senses could barely concentrate on Seth in this labyrinth.

Finally, I was on the fourth floor of a concrete parking garage, looking at four under-dressed werewolves, a vampire-human hybrid, and a witch, all of whom looked very happy to see me. My family…

I didn't bother parking (there was no one there besides us, and there were no empty parking spaces anyways). I just stopped in the middle of the aisle, turned my car off, barely remembered to shove the keys in my pocket, and raced straight into Seth's arms.

We clung to one another tightly, at least, until I winced in pain. Right… wounds are not healed yet…

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Seth instantly went into my-imprint-is-in-pain panic mode.

"Ah!" I scolded, holding my hand up. "My injuries are fine. I just need a few days of rest to finish healing."

Instead of arguing (which I totally thought he was going to do), he just nodded solemnly.

"Seth, don't kill me, but Jez, you look like a freaking mummy. What the hell happened?" Jake asked, looking like he wanted to laugh.

"It's the price I had to pay for freedom," I said with a (gentle) shrug. "Now, can we please go home? I hate this city."

"Yeah, let's get going. Shotgun!" Seth yelled, and he dove for my car. Jake immediately pulled him into a headlock.

"Not even close, pipsqueak. You're riding in the back," Jake snarled playfully.

I turned to Nessie. "Didn't you guys drive here?"

"Yeah, apparently the Mercedes isn't good enough for them anymore. It was a rough ride down with all of them shoved into that car. And you know how Jake gets with your car," Nessie sighed, rolling her eyes.

I chuckled. My family was a bunch of idiots. Well, the boys were.

My phone started ringing, so I shoved the boys out of the way because it was still in my car. When I pulled it from the middle console, Rhea's name and number were flashing on the screen. Why would she be calling me already?

"Hello?"

"Jezebel, where are you?" Rhea's voice was panicked.

"I just met up with my coven and the boys. What's going on, Rhea?" I asked as calmly as possible. Everyone turned to look at me, confusion and concern on their faces.

"The Shadow Circle knows about the shape shifters in Washington! Jezebel, you have to warn them! The Circle is on a warpath," Rhea said quickly.

"Do you know how they found out?" I asked quietly.

"No, I'll look into it, but you have to go warn them. The leaders are furious; they don't want any male with that kind of power after the Volturi's purge."

"Some of them are here right now, Rhea. I'll keep them safe," I promised her.

"No you won't! You need to rest and let your wounds heal properly! If you don't, they could cause permanent damage!" Rhea protested.

"They're my family," was all I could say. It was all that needed to be said. "I'll let you know when we reach Washington; the Circle has a lot more people to move than us, and we have a head start."

"Be careful, Jezebel. Henry and I are on our way to help," Rhea said before she hung up.

I tossed my phone back into the car, not bothering to see where it landed. I only had eyes for my family. Instead of fear (which is what I expected, considering the most dangerous and violent coven in the world wanted us dead), I saw only fierce determination, the same thing I was feeling myself.

"Do I even need to say anything? Let's go home and prepare," I said solemnly. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. With that, we started the cars and headed for Washington.

* * *

We were halfway home, already pit-stopped in some town in northern California called Weed. Yeah, the town is actually named Weed. I'm not making this up.

We had stopped to go to the bathroom and get a bite to eat before we continued home. My hands and right foot were sore from doing so much driving, and Seth was taking over the position of driver once we headed out again. Jake was driving the Mercedes, but he seemed to be fine to continue.

Everyone had gorged themselves at this little diner that was very shocked to see us. Then again, we were a pretty strange looking group. The waitress's face when she heard the boys' orders was even funnier.

After dinner, Nessie, Tia, and I took our time in the bathroom. We needed a little girl time.

"What are we going to do?" Tia whispered.

"What do you mean, 'What are we going to do?' We're going to fight, of course," I said.

"This is just like when the Volturi tried to wipe out my family. There's no other choice but to gather our allies and fight," Nessie said quietly.

"I just – I'm sorry. I've never been much of a fighter, and I'll be pretty useless. It's just upsetting, knowing there's no other way to survive," Tia sighed.

"You're a healer; we'll need you desperately when the fight starts," I said.

"I know. I'm just so worried for everyone. This isn't a fight we can win," Tia said.

I just smiled. "Then we're not going down without a fight. Besides, it's not hopeless. Nothing in the future is set in stone. We can always change our paths."

Nessie nodded in agreement. Tia just said, "Let's pray to the Goddess and hope you're right."

* * *

As we all got ready to pile back into the cars, Nessie called her parents to tell them the news. As expected, Edward wanted to run for Alaska. Bella agreed wholeheartedly.

Did they not remember everything the wolves had done for them? How the wolves saved the three of them and the rest of their family? How the wolves _risked their lives_ so the Cullens could continue to live?

Nessie refused to respond and hung up. She turned off her phone, too.

Good girl. She's finally showing her backbone to her over-controlling parents.

"I can't believe they're being so selfish about this! Did they forget everything Jake and the others have done for us?" Nessie cried out, frustrated.

"You know, I was thinking the same thing. How about we say 'Fuck them' and do what we think is right?" I asked lightly.

"It has never sounded better," Nessie replied angrily.

I turned to Jake, who looked very surprised to see his imprint so pissed off. "She's riding in your car."

* * *

The drive was long and arduous, but we finally saw the "Welcome to La Push" sign nine hours later. Tia and Embry were passed out in the backseat (which is surprising, because the backseat in the Mustang is incredibly cramped and uncomfortable) while Seth drove. He was going so slow…

"Hey babe, refresh my memory: why are we driving slower than an eighty year old grandma in her Cadillac driving home from church on Sunday?" I asked, still annoyed at the snail's pace.

"Because not everyone drives like a sixteen year old high schooler that just got his license and is trying to impress a girl with his mad skills and daredevil attitude," Seth retorted with a smile on his face. I couldn't help but smile, too.

"Fine," I said dramatically, rolling my eyes way too much for the current situation. Seth chuckled lightly at my antics. We must be slightly delirious from so much driving and no sleep.

We headed to Sam and Emily's house to meet with all of the other werewolves to discuss the upcoming battle. It was easier to think of the Shadow Circle's new objective as a war instead of genocide.

Would the witches of the Shadow Circle kill only the werewolves? Or would they go after the imprints as well? I couldn't stand the thought of them going after Emily, not to mention Claire. Or would the Circle decide to destroy the entire Quileute tribe? The idea was terrifying.

Emily and Sam were waiting for us, as was the rest of the pack. Everyone was gathered in the tiny living room. What was once a tight gathering of friends was now a silent, cramped meeting. We all took our respective seats, while Jake stood to address the somber group.

"I already called Sam ahead of time to let him know what was going on, so I'm guessing everyone already knows what we're facing," Jake started awkwardly. He slowly grew more confident. "We're not facing vampires here. These witches are just as dangerous, in different ways. Jez, can you show us exactly how they're going to fight against… wait, where's Leah?"

Everyone looked around for my future sister-in-law, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Fantastic. Can someone call her and tell her to get her ass over here? We're facing absolute destruction as a pack here, and –"

"Got her on the phone now," Emily interrupted, holding a phone out to Jake.

"Leah, get your ass over here! That goddamned Circle will be here – wait, do we know when they'll get here?" Jake asked.

For some odd reason (sarcasm), everyone turned to look at me. I paused to think. Most of the multiple factions belonging to the Circle were in LA during the meeting, so I had to assume they were coming from that direction. Considering the amount of people, it should be…

"Sometime tomorrow afternoon," I answered solemnly.

"Tomorrow afternoon," Jake repeated, and it sounded like a death sentence.

Unbeknownst to my dear family, I had a few tricks left up my sleeve.

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**Next chapter, we see how Leah reacts to the news! I wonder how she's going to take it... (sarcasm). Alright, questions! First, I forgot to ask last time: what did you guys think of Rhea and Henry? Second, I know this chapter had a little bit of filler, but what did you think of the dialogue and character development? Third, do you think Nessie is going to be able to fight alongside her soulmate and coven, or are her parents going to lock her in the basement? Fourth, and this is the most important question, does anyone have any ideas for a good title to the sequel of Love Like Crazy?**

**Please review! (God only knows how long it might take me to update if you don't) (hint hint)**


	22. Nessie Grows a Backbone

**So, I'll be honest: last chapter wasn't that great, but only three reviews? Really? Look, I will finish this story in a few more chapters, but I'm considering not even starting any new stories. Please, for my sake and your fellow readers' sake, review.**

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Jez's POV

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked Nessie for what seemed like the hundredth time. She nodded her head and reached for the phone I was holding out to her.

Then she snatched her hand back. "I can't. They're my parents! They're only looking out for me. I mean, I've never disobeyed my parents before, and I turned out just fine! I mean, I'm a good person, right?"

I just raised an eyebrow.

"Oh my God, you're right! I can't just abandon Jake! I love him! How could I possibly think about leaving him like this just to please my parents?"

I held the phone out again.

Nessie made a high-pitched whining noise, grabbed the phone from my hand, and dialed her father's cell phone number quickly. She held the phone to her face, looking absolutely terrified. I know I shouldn't look down on her right now. She's been controlled by her parents her entire life. I guess I just can't comprehend the idea of letting someone keep me from doing what I think is the right thing to do. I held her other hand, trying to give what support I could.

Edward finally answered, sounding pissed off. "Nessie? Where have you been? Your mother and I have been very worried. You promised to come home as soon as you reached Forks."

"I know, Dad. I… I'm not coming home," Nessie said in a trembling but sure voice.

"What?" Edward only spoke one word, so silent I almost couldn't hear it.

"You heard me, Dad. I'm not coming home," Nessie said, gaining confidence with each word she said. "I know you guys aren't going to help the pack, and I couldn't be more ashamed of you. They were willing to die to protect us from the Volturi, and this is how you pay them back? They are my family, and family doesn't just step aside to murderers because they're afraid they might get hurt!"

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen…" Edward's voice was dangerously low. "Not only is your death a possibility in this circumstance, it's a probability. Your mother and I know this is a fight that cannot be won, and we don't want to lose you. Come home."

"You know what, Dad? I'm not afraid. Yes, I'm probably going to die fighting the Shadow Circle. But at least I know I stood with my friends and family when it counted, instead of hiding like a coward! I love you, Dad, and tell Momma I love her, too, but this is my life and I'm going to live it the way I see fit. Goodbye, Daddy," Nessie said fiercely, then hung up.

Nessie dropped the phone, and promptly burst into tears. I pulled her into my arms and just held her. Jake would be in soon to – speak of the devil.

Jake burst into the room, swept Nessie into his arms, and whispered in her ear, "I'm here, Nessie. It was hard, but you couldn't live with yourself if you left."

"I know," she sobbed into his arm.

I left the room to give them some privacy.

My backyard was as glorious as ever, even if I could still hear Nessie bawling from the kitchen. Tia was sparring with Collin, trying to get some last-minute practice in before the battle tomorrow. I would join the training later, but first, I had a few calls to make myself.

Before I could reach my phone, however, a certain someone came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my stomach.

"You know Jake wishes Nessie had run away with the Cullens, don't you?" Seth asked, whispering in my ear as we watched Tia throw a punch at Collin's side.

"Of course I do. But he knows that she would never forgive herself if she ran away and let him die alone. We all know that. None of us are running away, Seth," I said firmly.

"It's no use asking you to run, is there?"

"You know me well enough by now to know the answer to that."

He sighed. "Then we die together again. I was hoping history wouldn't repeat itself again, but I guess –"

"It won't, because last time, we didn't have friends," I said simply.

"The Cullens and the rest of the vampires aren't going to help us. I thought we already went over this."

"I'm not talking about _your_ friends. I'm talking about _my_ friends, who happen to have a bit more honor than vampires," I smiled.

Seth shifted so he could see my face. "I thought your friends were the ones coming to kill us."

It was my turn to sigh. "No, those whores are nothing to me anymore. My _friends_ are scattered throughout the country right now. I was just about to start calling everyone when you started whispering in my ear in a very distracting manner."

Before things could heat up and get interesting, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen, which told me Rhea was calling me. I answered.

"Jezebel, I have good news and bad news," Rhea said.

"Shit. Alright, what's the good news?"

"The good news is the Shadow Circle isn't coming straight for you. You have about a week to prepare."

"Really?" I gasped. Just a few days for me to heal would be a gift from the Goddess, and would give us a chance at surviving. "Wait, where are they going instead?"

"Volterra."

"WHAT?" I shrieked. Seth held me tighter.

"They seem to think the Volturi will help them defeat you, and then the two groups will fight each other for dominance. Henry and I will be there late tonight to help you prepare," Rhea said sadly.

"Call me when you get to Washington; I'll give you directions," I said and hung up.

I looked up at Seth. This couldn't be happening. The Volturi and the Shadow Circle, the two deadliest groups on this earth, and they're working together. To kill us.

"It'll be okay, babe," Seth whispered in my ear as he held me. I couldn't be reassured. The Volturi had run because of Bella's shield and the wolves before. Now we were facing overwhelming odds, without the Cullens or their vampire friends.

"I need to start making those calls, then," I said, defeated. I dialed the first number for my first friend.

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Seth's POV

Two days after we had returned to La Push, things were looking pretty bleak. The witch Rhea and her vampire husband Henry had arrived a few hours after their devastating phone call, and they were fitting into the group pretty well. Henry mostly kept to himself, aware of the wolves' dislike for vampires of any kind, but he was friendly with me.

Nessie was distraught, confining herself to the guestroom Jez had given her. Jake, of course, was distraught as well because Nessie was so upset. Thus, Nessie felt even worse because Jake was upset, and it was a never-ending circle of hysterics.

Collin threw himself into continuing his training. According to Jez (who was pissed off because she couldn't do anything but instruct), he was making leaps and bounds of progress. They were now helping Collin use his powers while he was a wolf, and it seemed like he was learning three times as fast now. Jez was ecstatic.

Tia spent most of her time either making healing salves and tonics or being with Embry. She was determined to prepare as many healing aids as she could in the coming days.

Jez divided her time between helping Collin and helping Tia, mostly helping Collin (apparently, healing isn't Jez's thing).

Sometime that afternoon, the first of Jez's friends arrived. We were watching Jez teach Collin some move that would work well with his wolf form when she let out a hair-raising shriek.

"Mac!" she cried, running to the front of the house. We all got up to follow her.

Standing in the driveway was a mountain of a man in a dark blue suit. He had snow white hair and kind blue eyes. Aside from the white hair, he reminded me of Emmett Cullen. Except this man was much taller. Jez was currently hugging him breathless.

"Easy, witchling. Even wolves need to breathe," he laughed in a deep voice.

"Right," Jez said as she stepped away from him and towards us. She motioned for him to follow. "Everyone, this is Mac, my… hmmm… well, he's the closest thing I've ever had to a family before you guys, so adopted father. Mac, this is my new family and coven."

"I didn't know I was held in such a high regard in your life, witchling. I think that was the first time you've ever hugged me," Mac said gruffly.

"Oh, don't get snippy. And you can thank my wonderful fiancé for the sudden acceptance of displays of affection," Jez smiled.

"You didn't mention a fiancé in your last call. Whom might he be?" he asked curiously, looking at all of us gathered closely, like he could determine who it was by sight.

Jez saved him the trouble. She walked up to me, took my hand, and led me to stand right in front of Mac. "This is Seth, my soul mate."

Mac smiled warmly and held out his hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Seth. I have no idea what you did to cause this… sudden acceptance of males, but whatever it was, I'm happy with the result."

"Yeah, I'm pretty excited about it, too," I said happily, shaking his hand. This guy had a firm grip.

"Do I want to know what happened for you to get all those scars, witchling?" Mac asked Jez, looking very frightening.

"Probably. I left the Shadow Circle," was all Jez said.

Mac smiled and his eyes started to tear up. "Well, it's about damn time."

"Come on Mac, I'll show you your room. Isn't this house fantastic? I really appreciate you building it for me," Jez said as she dragged Mac towards the house.

That last sentence had me reeling.

"_Mac_ is the one who paid for your house? I thought it was the Shadow Circle that paid everything for you!" I gasped.

"Please, the Circle barely paid enough for food every month. Mac pays for most of my expenses. Didn't I tell you all of this already? I could have sworn I mentioned Mac sometime," she said, sounding surprised.

"Jez, we've been together less than a month, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. I guess there wasn't a lot of time to discuss finances, and the subject never really came up."

I sighed. I love her, I really do, but sometimes she drives me insane.

Mac gave me a look that said he had been in my position plenty of times before.

"So, you never told him about how you changed my life, witchling?" Mac asked Jez.

"I already told you, it's been a wild month."

Mac gave me a conspiratorial smile. "I don't know if you've noticed yet, boyo, but I'm a werewolf."

I felt my eyes widen.

"Not a wolf shape shifter like yourself, but a Child of the Moon. Before I met Jezebel, I would turn into a mindless monster once a month during the full moon. Jezebel was just a little girl when I met her –"

"Um, I was thirteen. That's not a little girl," Jez interrupted.

"I'm over three hundred years old. Thirteen is young to me. Regardless, I met her when she was old enough to defy her Circle's orders and befriend a male. You were wary of me at first," Mac laughed.

"I adjusted to being around you soon enough," Jez argued playfully.

"True. And you knew how to make a wonderful little tonic that allowed me to keep my mind when I became that monstrous creature."

"So you pay Jez an outrageous amount of money to make that tonic for you every month," I guessed.

Their conspiratorial grins said it all.

"Come on Mac, I'll show you your room. How's your secretary?" Jez said as she walked arm-in-arm with Mac towards the house.

"She's married, and they're expecting their first child in seven months."

"No way! I thought she just started working for you."

"No, she's been with the company and me for about four years now. It's been a while since you came by the office."

"I can't visit you at the pharmaceutical company! You're a high-powered CEO, and I'm a young, beautiful woman. Everyone would think you're doing me, and that's just awkward."

"Yes, that would be fairly awkward."

If this is what is going to happen with every one of Jez's friends, well… this is going to get interesting.

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**Alright, I'm begging you guys. Please, review, even if it's just to say "good job" or "bad job". I'll still write questions out, though. First, who else is ecstatic that Nessie grew a backbone with her parents? Because I know I am. Second, what do you think of the Cullens' being little dicks? I mean, what do you think of them copping out of the fight? Third, what do you all of Mac? Fourth, predictions? Like who is coming to aid the wolf pack and coven next?**

**For the love of God, please review!**


	23. Friends and Allies

**So, presumably, you're all pissed at me. I understand that. I haven't updated in over a month. I might be pushing two months at this point. If you're at all interested in my excuses (you might be, who knows), please read the paragraph below. Before that, I must say that all updates from this point on will be sporadic at best, and will vary in time, but not in quality. I'm still not entirely pleased with this chapter, but I've made you wait long enough, and it's as good as it's going to get.**

**Well, to start out with, moving is a bitch. I just moved so I could go to university (a super-prestigious one at that, I'm so excited!), and it was a giant pain in the ass. Now I have to find a job, and school starts before the month is over, so... updates... they'll happen when they happen. But reviews, as always, are excellent motivators.**

**Yeah, just start reading the chapter.**

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Seth's POV

After Mac arrived, Jez spent hours catching up with him. I left to go on patrol with Embry and Leah to give the two time to talk without me monopolizing her. If I had known Leah would be so unpleasant, I would have stayed home.

"_Home? You're already calling that… place… home? What is wrong with you? You are aware that if it weren't for her and her 'coven', we wouldn't be in this situation, right? How could you be so blind? She's going to kill all of us! How –"_

"_Leah, will you shut up? We don't care what you think of our girls,"_ Embry said pleasantly.

"_Are you that stupid? They're destroying everything, including our entire family! Can you honestly not see what's happening?"_

"_Leah, why can't you just be happy for me?"_ I asked tiredly. _"She's my imprint. I love her. She loves me. What more do you want?"_

"_How about an imprint that DOESN'T GET US ALL KILLED? How about that, huh? Haven't you noticed that none of the other imprints have gotten us slaughtered? What's wrong with normal, human girls that don't destroy everything they touch –"_

"_Leah, shut up! I smell something strange,"_ Embry insisted.

I loped over to him. He was standing next to a large redwood tree, sniffing the base intently. I took a whiff, too.

What was that?

It was impossible to describe. It was like someone wove the scent of a warm summer day, an ocean after a storm, a cool breeze after a long run… wonderful things that shouldn't have scents, but now, somehow did.

"_Ugh, you are so melodramatic now. Let me smell…"_ Leah pushed me aside and froze, smelling the same things Embry and I did.

"_What the hell is this?"_ Leah asked, her anger now drained.

"_I'm not sure…"_ Embry answered. _"I've never smelled anything like it."_

Before either of us could answer, we heard a soft rustle in the leaves about two hundred yards away. We hadn't heard anything else from that direction except that distinct rustle. It wasn't the wind.

Leah turned to face the sound, snarling. Embry and I swung around to face the phantom sound as well.

The trees were thick in that area, but it was obvious that no one was there. We glanced around to see if someone threw a rock into the brush from afar, but there wasn't a single living creature around.

"_Seth… you're right. There's nothing around… no animals, no breeze, nothing,"_ Embry realized.

Then out of nowhere, appearing out of thin air, a woman appeared. She gracefully emerged from the forest, gliding elegantly towards us.

We froze, not daring to move until we knew if she was friend or foe.

She smelled like the intoxicating scent we had just found. Her hair was a waterfall of pale, silky blond flowing down her back, ending at the backs of her knees. She had a very slight build, very lean, and she was rather tall, about five feet nine inches. Her facial features were pointed with very high cheekbones and delicately pointed ears. Her eyes fixed on us after a quick scan of the forest, and they were unnaturally large and unnaturally silver-blue, almost iridescent.

"Ah, these must be the wolves the Lady spoke of," the woman said. Her voice was a lovely soprano; it was almost like she was singing her words.

Other men and women like her soon appeared out of nowhere and, like her, drifted gracefully through the thick underbrush – towards us. Leah braced for a fight.

"My queen, I do not believe the Lady informed her wolves of our imminent arrival," one of the men said to the first woman. He stood the closest to her. He was only a few inches taller than her, and instead of blond, his hair was pitch black, and braided down his back. His stance was casual, but he was clearly ready for a fight.

"I believe you are correct, Oloenthidas," the first woman responded.

"_Try saying that three times fast,"_ I laughed to myself. Leah rolled her eyes.

"Wolves of the Olympic Peninsula, if you would be so kind as to lead us to Lady Jezebel. She and I have much to discuss," the first woman said kindly but firmly.

I snarled. What did they want with my Jez?

"_They're obviously some of her supposed 'friends' she's called to help us, dumbass,"_ Leah growled. _"Don't be stupid and start a fight over nothing."_

I didn't bother arguing that fighting for Jez's safety was far from nothing. Instead, I slipped into the nearest thick brush, transformed back into my human form, and yanked my denim shorts on. If they were going to meet Jez, I wanted to meet them first.

When I walked back into the woman's line of sight, she gasped with delight.

"Oh, they can change form at will! Oh, Oloenthidas, how fascinating is that! Pray tell, what is your name?" she asked excitedly.

"My name is Seth," I replied stiffly. Her formality was making me a little uncomfortable… and making me feel very under-dressed. Her green and black ensemble looked like it came straight from the late sixteen-hundreds. The men around her were dressed similarly as well.

"Oh, yes, of course! Jezebel's husband-to-be! I am Daremita, Queen of the High Court of Faerie. This grumpy man is my consort and husband, Oloenthidas," she smiled. "Would you and your brethren be so kind as to escort us to Jezebel's residence? This alliance between the Volturi and the Shadow Circle is most unusual, and I wish to discuss the long-term implications with her."

"Their alliance is not unusual, my Queen, it is unsettling, bordering on disturbing," Oloenthidas snarled. The rest of the men – were they really faeries? – nodded and murmured their agreement. "I doubt their true goal is to simply eliminate a small gathering of shapeshifters."

Daremita frowned. "The Volturi has tried to exterminate multiple tribes of shapeshifters in the past, though."

"Really?" I asked, shocked. There were other shapeshifters out there? "Let's talk while we walk to Jez's place."

"With varying degrees of success," Oloenthidas replied as he, his queen, and the other men followed me towards one of the foot paths that led to Jez's house. Leah and Embry took up flanking positions. "I believe there is a trio of hawk shapeshifters still roaming the world. They make their living through mercenary work. Lady Jezebel employs them from time to time in order to obtain rare magical artifacts."

"Mercenaries? Sounds like the kind of people Jez would get along with," I said.

"Despite her confusing wariness of the male gender, Jezebel has always made alliances rather easily," Daremita commented. "I assume that wariness has faded, considering your relationship with her."

I smiled. "It took a while for her to trust me, but it's been well worth it."

Leah growled softly. I sighed.

Daremita cast a glance towards me. "She does not approve?"

"My older sister is protective of me. My relationship with Jez didn't start out with butterflies and rainbows, and she hasn't let it go," I explained briefly.

Daremita nodded. "Jezebel has always been loyal to a fault. Your sister will realize Jezebel's worth as a mate soon enough, I'm certain of it."

Leah growled a little louder. Daremita ignored it.

Somehow, Daremita and her party made it through the thick forest without tripping once. I guess faeries are super graceful, even with their Elizabethan-era clothing. How else was Daremita moving in that giant dress?

Jez's house came into view soon enough. Which was a good thing, because I'm pretty sure Leah doesn't like Daremita or her faeries very much.

Collin and Nessie were sparring together in the backyard, their fists on fire. I've seen Jez do that before, but her fire can change colors (my personal favorite is white). Jez and Mac were sitting on the back porch, with Jez occasionally shouting different orders at the two fighters.

"Darling Jezebel, my heart soars to see you once more!" Daremita called across the yard.

"Daremita! It's about time you got here!" Jez called back happily, leaped up from her seat, and ran to join us. The two women hugged happily, and started chatting like old friends. Was this going to happen every time one of Jez's friends showed up?

Oloenthidas came up behind me. "I believe the ladies wish to catch up. Shall we go over battle plans while we wait for them to remember why they're reunited?" he asked with a conspiratorial grin.

"Sounds good. Just let me – wait, what's that sound?"

A strange sound had just started, like enormous birds flapping their wings.

"I hear it as well," Oloenthidas said. "I believe the mercenaries are here."

And just like that, three enormous birds flew overhead. Each wing was about ten feet from joint to tip. They were varying shades of brown, with varying shades of red on their tails.

"Right, you said there were other shapeshifters – hawks, right?" I asked.

"Yes. Ah, the ladies have noticed our new allies' arrival as well," Oloenthidas said, nodding toward the girls, who were staring at the giant hawks that were slowly spiraling toward the ground.

The three birds skimmed the treetops of the forest beyond before shifting shape into what appeared to be three human men, and dropped through the canopy.

Jezebel, Nessie, Tia, Collin, and Mac joined us at the edge of the woods. Oloenthidas and his men joined Daremita by the porch. I guess, if everyone were to wait for them, it would look pretty intimidating. Leah sulked by the garden gate, but I don't think it was for our new guests' comfort.

Three large, Native American men exited the forest, wearing nothing but worn jean shorts. If I didn't know better, I would have said they were part of our pack of wolves. There was no distinguishing feature between us shapeshifting wolves and the hawks.

"I'll be honest, Jez," the hawk in the middle spoke. "I didn't think our next reunion would be with such a wide array of – er," he glanced at the fairies, "creatures."

"Of course not," Jez laughed. "You haven't had any personal contact with a sentient creature since your tribe was destroyed. Aside from the occasional in-person meeting with a client."

"It was always a delight to see you in person, my old friend," the man replied.

Jezebel raised an eyebrow.

"Most of the time," he amended with a sheepish smile.

"It's good to see you, too, Helaku," Jez smiled.

Helaku glanced around. "You seem to have settled in quickly enough. You already have a coven, and a mate."

Did Jez just blush a little? "Yes, I have. This is my wolf, Seth. He imprinted on me a few months ago."

Helaku smiled, but there was a touch of sadness to it. "I'm glad you've finally found peace, Hehewuti."

"You'll find your peace soon," Jez said with a smile, in that tone I was learning to recognize quickly. The one that meant there would be no argument, and no questions. The tone not of the young woman, but of the Queen.

"If you insist," Helaku replied simply.

"I do. Now, introductions are useless since you'll forget everyone's names as soon as you learn them, so we're going to skip that part and go straight to lunch, shall we?"

"As long as you're not cooking, lunch sounds delicious. It was a long flight," the hawk on Helaku's left laughed.

"You're hilarious, Taima. I'm not cooking, promise."

"Good, because I don't think even cold ones can survive that – Helaku?" Taima's teasing smile faded quickly.

Helaku had frozen in his tracks, staring towards Jez's garden. But I'm fairly certain Jez's magnificent garden had completely escaped Helaku's notice, since his face was filled with shock and an unparalleled joy. Tears sprang to his eyes.

And he was staring at a very surprised-looking Leah.

"Yes, your peace will come very soon, indeed," I heard Jez murmur behind me.

* * *

**Oh, snap! How is Leah going to react to the imprint? And did she imprint on Helaku as well? Don't answer those. It's a surprise. However, if you could answer _these_ questions in a review, that'd be awesome. First, just how pissed off are you at my lack of updating? Second, who is your favorite new character? And you should tell me why you love them, too. Third, do you think the plot is resembling Breaking Dawn too much? And fourth, any predictions?**

**Please review, and thanks for sticking by me for so long!**


	24. A Terrible Truth

**I still feel really bad about not updating for you guys, so here's the next chapter early! I should have spent that time cleaning and unpacking and being a productive member of society, but I decided to say screw it, watch reruns of "Archer", and finish this chapter. It's a little short, but I like it the way it is. As always, please review! (Last chapter only got four reviews, we can do better than that! Or people just stopped reading this story...) And another bonus! We see things from Nessie's point of view in the first half!**

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Nessie's POV

Leah bolted, not even bothering to strip before phasing and running straight into the woods. Jez's friend, Helaku, continued to stare after her, but wisely did not follow.

"She has scars?" he asked quietly, resigned.

"Yes," Jez answered in the same tone. "You learned to live with yours years ago. She hasn't, yet."

"Would I make things worse if I went after her?" he asked, a little hope leaking into his voice.

"You might," Jez smiled. "But after snarling at you, and most likely hitting you a few times, she might warm up to you. Slowly, of course."

"Of course," Helaku repeated. With that, he ran into the woods in the same direction as Leah.

"I never thought the chief would imprint again," Taima said in an awed voice.

"Again?" I gasped.

"Yeah," the third hawk – whose name I still didn't know – replied. "When the Volturi attacked our tribe five hundred years ago, the three of us were the only survivors. Helaku's imprint, Adsila, died in the attack. He was devastated. There were no words for that kind of pain. If we weren't the last three of our tribe, I'm certain he would have killed himself to join her."

"I think he appreciates that decision now, Kele," Jez said with that same knowing smile. "Why don't we go have lunch now? I have a feeling they're going to take a while."

Lunch was an adventure, because trying to shove that many people into Jez's average-sized kitchen was impossible. But the camaraderie was a welcome change to the once grim atmosphere, and I welcomed it with open arms. Even Jake was loosening up, laughing at all of Taima's terrible jokes.

The evening passed by quickly, and Helaku and Leah never returned.

That night, I couldn't sleep. I kept having terrible dreams about my coven and Jake dying at the hands of the Volturi, and my family standing there watching it all, not lifting a finger to help, saying, "Nessie, we told you this would happen. Now, come home and let us tell you how to live your life."

At about three in the morning, my tossing and turning finally woke Jake up.

"You okay, Ness?" he whispered, his eyebrows furrowed with concern. It was so adorable.

"I'm fine. Just a nightmare," I whispered back.

The furrow in his brow deepened. "You sure?"

"Yes, go back to sleep," I insisted.

"Alright," he said warily, and he turned over. He was back asleep in minutes.

I couldn't fall back asleep. At six in the morning, I called it quits, took a shower, and went downstairs.

Leah and Helaku were sitting at the dining room table, staring at one another. Well, Helaku was staring at Leah, and Leah was glaring at Helaku. Neither of them said a word as I got breakfast. It was the most awkward meal of my life, and that includes when I realized my feelings for Jake and tried to block my thoughts around my father.

As I was putting my dishes in the sink, Leah sprang to her feet, and ran out the back door. Helaku followed without a word. I couldn't help but sigh.

Tia walked in a few minutes later.

"Rough night?" she asked.

"Yes," was all I could muster.

"That makes two of us. I kept waking Embry up, poor guy."

"Jake only woke up once."

"Lucky him."

We fell silent as Tia drank her cup of coffee.

Helaku walked back in, looking grim.

"The Queen requests your presence in the garden," he said formally, and walked out.

Tia and I just looked at one another, stood up, and walked in silence to the garden.

He specifically said _the Queen_ instead of Jezebel, so it must be formal. Impersonal. Important.

We found Jez sitting underneath a willow tree, gazing into a pond as smooth as glass. Her back was straight, her legs crossed, and tears were streaming down her face silently.

"I had a vision last night, Sisters. It foretold of immense grief and suffering… and death. Collin cannot be a part of this meeting or these orders, as they must remain between the three of us. He has not mastered the technique of closing one's mind to others, and too many of the wolves would hear before they are supposed to. No one else can know what I plan to do," the Queen declared.

"What do you ask of us, my Queen?" Tia asked formally. I didn't dare speak. I still can't quite separate my friend Jez from the Queen.

"I ask for your help – and your silence. No one can know of this, or all is lost."

"May we know?" I asked cautiously.

"Yes. You must know in order to assist me in the necessary way."

Tia knelt on Jez's left side, and I knelt on her right. "What did you see, Sister?" I asked.

Jez looked at me, and I saw so much sorrow and pain, I couldn't believe a single human could contain it. "Your death."

Tia gasped. I was speechless.

"I saw your death, my Sister. And yours," she whispered to Tia. "Everyone in this house, everyone we call friend or ally will die at the hands of the Volturi and the Shadow Circle. They cannot go to war. They cannot fight."

"Even Jake?" I whispered. "Even Embry, and Seth?"

"Everyone," she whispered back in a tortured voice.

"We have to go to war, Jez. We're already at war, we're just waiting for the enemy to get here so we can meet them on the battlefield," Tia insisted. "Stop dancing around the word."

"They can't. You can't."

Before I could argue with Tia, before I could say a word, the way Jez phrased her refusals caught my attention.

"If we're not going to war, Jez, who is?" I asked quietly. Tia fell silent.

Jez simply continued to stare at the pond.

"Jez, who is going to war?"

She turned to look at me, and I couldn't name what I saw in her furiously glowing green eyes.

"I am."

* * *

Seth's POV

It was a strange day.

Leah and Helaku had apparently returned to the house sometime last night, but had disappeared again. Jez, Tia, and Nessie had left to talk in the garden early this morning, and had yet to return. No one could hear what they were saying, either. And the faeries informed us that the Cullens were currently on their way to see us.

They couldn't tell us if the Cullens had returned for Nessie, or to help. Knowing Edward and Bella, it was to take Nessie and leave. But Carlisle's compassion had surprised us before.

"We have about five minutes before the Cullens arrive," Oloenthidas said. Despite his formality, I was really starting to like the guy. Daremita and her insatiable curiosity were growing on me, too.

"How interesting," she murmured. "Vampires who abstain from human blood. I've never seen it done in all my years. Darling Seth, are their powers diminished at all? Do they act more savage from the constant thirst?"

We heard two cars – speeding well above the legal limit – heading straight for the house.

"No. They're actually more human for abstaining. They can make real familial bonds," I replied.

"_Really?_ Oh, I must see that, I must talk with one of them!" Daremita declared excitedly.

"I think Carlisle will want to talk to you, too. I don't think he's met faeries before," I said.

The two cars we had heard pulled into the driveway quickly, Carlisle's Mercedes and Edward's Volvo. The Cullen family piled out, looking surprised by the congregation before them.

I got up and went to greet them. Edward obviously wasn't in the mood for niceties.

"Where is Renesmee, Seth?" he hissed at me. The rest of the Cullens seemed to be in the same mood. Except for Carlisle. He just looked surprised.

"The garden. She's talking with Jez and Tia. But I wouldn't interrupt if I were you," I called over my shoulder as Edward ran for the garden gate.

There was a brilliant flash of yellow light, and Edward flew backwards five hundred yards.

"Tried to warn you," I said with a shrug as Bella raced to her husband's side.

The rest of the Cullens approached me with a bit more caution.

"I won't waste words, Seth," Carlisle said. "We were incredibly wrong to deny you the help you gladly gave us in our time of need. We are here to correct that, and join you in your fight against the Volturi."

"It's not a fight anymore," Oloenthidas corrected lightly. "It is a war."

"This isn't like last time, Carlisle," I warned. "The Volturi aren't going to spare us this time, and you best believe the Shadow Circle isn't."

"We understand that, Seth," Esme interjected. "We're still going to fight with you."

"We're going to rip those guys a new asshole!" Emmett declared.

"Ah, you must be the 'Painmaker' the wolves were talking about," Taima said.

"The what?" Rosalie hissed. I guess she doesn't like her husband's new nickname.

"The Painmaker is the nickname I gave your boyfriend, Blondie," Taima laughed. "From the stories the wolves have told us, it fits him."

"Emmett 'the Painmaker' Cullen," Emmett said slowly, mulling it over. "I like it!"

We all froze as we heard the latch of the gate swing open.

Nessie stormed over to her parents. "What the hell do you cowards want?" she spat.

"Nessie, we realized we were wrong, we came to help!" Bella said.

"Took you long enough!"

And with that, she stormed into the house, followed quickly by Tia. Jez hadn't left the garden.

While everyone else began to whisper about this new development (and the jokes about vampires actually admitting they were wrong), I quietly slipped through the garden gate.

I found her in her usual thinking spot underneath the willow tree, staring at the seeing pond but not really _seeing_ it. She looked as beautiful as ever, but it was more of a side note. We just couldn't spare the time or effort to truly appreciate her beauty.

I took a seat beside her and wrapped my arms around her. It never failed to amaze me; she felt so good in my arms. She buried her face in my neck.

"Did you hear? The Cullens are back. They're here to help us," I told her. She didn't move. She made no sign of having heard anything I said for a few minutes.

"Yes, I felt Edward crash against my shield," she finally replied. "And it was hard to not hear Nessie's reaction."

"Yeah, she's pissed. She'll forgive them eventually, though."

We didn't speak again for a while.

Finally, Jez spoke.

"Seth?" she asked timidly. Which was so unlike her, I was immediately wary – and scared.

"Yeah, Jezzie?" I replied as calmly as possible.

"Do you love me?" she asked. Her face was still buried in my shoulder, so I couldn't place her current emotions.

"Of course I love you. You know I do," I said in my most confident voice possible.

"I love you, too," she whispered. She didn't say another word.

And I was left to ponder why "I love you" sounded so much like "Goodbye".

* * *

**If anyone understand's where "The Painmaker" reference comes from, please raise your sarcasm hand and tell me in a review. **

**Questions! First, what do you think of the Cullens finally growing a collective pair? In other words, they stopped sucking so much. It's just so easy to make them wimps! And then make fun of them for it! Second, do you think Jez is getting too mystically and removed? I've noticed that she isn't her sarcastic, badass self lately. Third, what do you think Jez is planning? And fourth, I have finally decided on how this story will end, and it does NOT resemble Breaking Dawn in the slightest. Any predictions or requests?**

**So please, please review guys. I'm serious. Four reviews for a story this long? I know the chapter sucked, but come on! Leave me feedback so I can write better stories! That was my rant. Now please review. If you do, I might just decide to write the sequel to Love Like Crazy before the year ends...**


	25. The Final Storm

**I don't know if any of you realized, but this is the last chapter for Dark Light! The end of my longest story to date! A lot of you disappeared after my extended absence, but I guess I can't blame you. But after this, we have the epilogue and a possible bonus chapter. Thank you all for sticking with me to the end!**

**And I think you'll find this greatly differs from the end of Breaking Dawn :D**

* * *

Jez's POV

I didn't leave my garden again.

The spells I was weaving were far too delicate and difficult to leave unattended for any length of time. Seth brought me my meals, and Nessie and Tia helped me construct the spells.

It had only been two days since my vision and subsequent self-imposed exile. Seth had started to worry after the first hour. He knew I was keeping something from him. And thank the Goddess, he understood that I couldn't talk about it. Not yet. Not if I wanted this to work.

The day after my retreat, Rhea and Henry arrived. From what Tia said, Rhea already had a good idea of what I was planning. Tia also told me that Rhea had pledged herself and her abilities to help with the aftermath. That knowledge bolstered me, and gave me hope that my future with Seth – and our future children – was still possible.

The spells were the most complicated piece of magic I had ever attempted. Making sure they did what they were supposed to do, making sure they affected only the people they were supposed to… it was so complex.

I stopped sleeping. I pretty much stopped eating. I knew not taking care of myself would harm my chances of success, but there was no way it would work if it wasn't _finished_.

It was the day before the Volturi and the Shadow Circle arrived. Everyone was packing up to camp in the clearing where we would be fighting. At least, they were before an unexpected guest showed up.

Tia was by my side, attempting to get me to eat, when her head perked up.

"Sister, we have company. Witches. At least a dozen of them," she whispered to me.

I scanned the area briefly, and found a violent – and familiar – mind.

"Ask Nessie to send Raven in. I would like to speak with her," I requested with a smile on my face.

Tia gasped at Raven's name (Raven doesn't have the best of reputations among peace-loving witches), but she did as I asked.

Raven entered, took one look at me, and said, "Damn. Shit just got real, didn't it?"

I couldn't help but smile. "That's one way to put it."

"You look like death warmed over, Jez. Stress never affected you like this, even when we were pledges. What in the name of the Goddess is going on here? What the hell happened to you?"

"Like you said. Death," I put it simply. "But you didn't just come here to comment on my appearance, did you?"

"Tch, of course not. I'm here because… well, because…" she hesitated. I doubt Raven has ever hesitated in her life before this. "You were right. The Shadow Circle did try to dip into my power, just like you said they did with you. At first, I just left with a few of the other witches and decided to let you deal with it. But… we need to work together to defeat them."

"You're right. We do need each other, but not just to defeat them. We need to rebuild the witching world after the battle. The Shadow Circle has ruled for too long, and there are too many wounds. I can't do that alone, either. Will you help me rebuild?" I asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll help," Raven said with a smile. "I'll go get acquainted with the other misfits in your ragtag team."

"You do that," I laughed, and sent a mental note to Tia and Nessie that sounded the all-clear.

"And whatever you're planning…" Raven added before she left. "Don't die."

My parting smile was ironic, and after she left, I said, "I'm not planning on it, but I can't make any promises."

* * *

Seth came in an hour later.

"Jezzie, we're all packed up. Are you ready to go?" he called. He came around the corner and spotted me next to a rosebush.

"There you are. Ready to go?" he asked, pointing his thumb over his shoulder towards the gate.

"Not yet. I need to stay for a while longer," I told him. "Go ahead with the others. I'll be along soon."

Seth regarded me cautiously. I knew what he was thinking. I knew two of his greatest needs were competing: his desire to do as I asked, and his desire to protect me from anything and everything, including myself. It was obvious which was going to win.

"Jez, I'm not comfortable leaving you alone here," Seth said slowly.

"I won't be alone; Tia is staying with me. Besides, if you want the Volturi and the Shadow Circle to end up in the right clearing, you guys need to get going now. Time isn't exactly on our side."

"I know that," Seth muttered.

I walked up to him and placed my hand on his cheek. "I'll be right behind you. Stop worrying."

He placed his hand on top of mine. "You'll be right behind me?"

"Yes. You'll barely even notice I was gone," I whispered.

"I love you," he said, holding me tightly.

"I love you, too," I whispered back.

I pulled away. "Now, get going. Everyone's going to leave without you."

He smiled. "I'm going, I'm going."

I couldn't help but smile as he left. I couldn't help but cry once he was gone. The spells were finally ready. In a few minutes, the Volturi would enter the state of Washington, heading straight for the Olympic Peninsula.

And this was probably the last time I would ever see Seth alive.

It was time.

* * *

Seth's POV

Jez was up to something. Tia and Nessie were helping her do it. And no matter what, the girls wouldn't say a word to us.

We tried interrogating Collin, but he truly had no idea what was going on, either. Rhea hinted that she knew, but also wasn't saying anything. I had already been ready to punch someone, and now Tia and Jez were staying behind for a few hours? Oh, hell no. I wasn't stupid. And all of this circling had to end.

I stopped Tia before she entered the garden. "Tia, I need to talk to you."

"I don't have time for this, Seth. I need to see Jez. Now," she insisted.

"You're hiding something from us, and I need to know what it is," I said firmly.

"No, you don't. Now let me get this lunch to Jez already, she needs it."

I sighed and let Tia disappear into the garden. Little did I know, she wasn't coming back out.

"Seth!" Nessie called to me from the porch. "You need to get in here!"

I sighed. "I'm coming!"

When I jogged back inside the house, I realized everyone was inside. And I mean _everyone_. Mac, the faeries, the hawks, Rhea and Henry, the Shadow Circle deserters, the Cullens, and the wolves were all inside, sitting on the floor. Nessie patted an empty spot beside her.

"Come on, Seth! You need to come sit down. Tia and Jez put a lot of protection spells around the house, but we're still going to feel this storm," Nessie said hurriedly.

"What storm?" I asked as I sat beside her.

Nessie's face glowed with triumph. "The Witch Queen's storm."

"What?" I gasped. What storm?

"Jez is gathering her power into a storm to unleash on the Volturi and the Shadow Circle. We need to stay inside so we only feel a minimal effect."

"What if we were outside?" Jake asked nervously.

"Then the power would rip through us. If it decided we weren't evil, it would rattle us, but leave us unharmed. For the Volturi and the Shadow Circle…" Nessie trailed off.

"It will tear them apart," Rhea finished. "This isn't as simple as Renesmee makes it sound. It is a complicated spell, and even more complicated because she is trying to protect us from the worst of the effects. Not to mention the backlash of such an enormous release of power."

A howling wind was picking up outside as we spoke.

"What does this backlash do?" I asked hesitantly, knowing I was going to hate the answer.

A tear escaped from Rhea's eyes. "It will rush back to its source, and tear it apart, as well."

"Jez," I whispered.

And then the world blasted apart.

* * *

The storm lasted until dawn. The whole house shook throughout the night, rattling the windows and anything that wasn't nailed to the ground… including our bones. We heard vicious thunder every three minutes or so, and the flashes of lightning that preceded them would make everyone jump.

Nessie, Tia, and Rhea raised their heads tentatively, then leaped to their feet.

"Everyone stay here!" Tia ordered, and the three of them disappeared out the door.

"Stay here, my ass!" I growled, and I jumped up to join them. My Jezzie was injured, but how badly? I had to see for myself that she was okay.

Before I could rush through the garden gate, Nessie pushed me out. One hand was covering her mouth like she was about to vomit, and she looked like she was sobbing.

She ran over to the other side of the garden fence and vomited.

"Nessie? You okay?" I asked tentatively.

"Don't go in there!" she gasped, then vomited again.

I glanced at the gate. "Why not?"

"The spells Rhea and Tia are weaving are delicate, very delicate," Nessie said after wiping her mouth. She walked back to me, her face even paler than a vampire's, and I thought she was about to pass out. "They said… they said there can be no doubt. No one in that garden can doubt that Jez will live, or the spells won't work right. And Jez will die."

My heart stopped, and I fell to my knees. Jez can't die. She can't. I've almost lost her so many times. I can't lose her again. I can't lose her for good.

"Seth… I saw her. I saw what's left of her, and it's bad. It's really bad. If you look at her… you wouldn't believe that body could still live. You have to stay out here," Nessie whispered. With that, she bolted back into the garden.

I have no idea how long I sat there, kneeling, praying to the Goddess that my Jezzie would come back to me in one piece.

* * *

Two weeks.

It had been two weeks since the Volturi and the Shadow Circle tried to destroy my family and my friends. Two weeks since Jez had sacrificed herself to save us all from certain death.

Nessie told me later about Jez's vision before the battle. No one on our side would have survived the fight. Instead of all of us dying, Jez had used her enormous power to save us. And had put her own life on the line in the process.

No one could tell me if Jez was going to survive. Tia and Rhea kept saying it was too soon to tell, that they could have no doubts, that they had to make sure Jez was going to make it before giving anything definitive.

All I had to do was wait. And it was killing me.

Nessie – and everyone else, for that matter – kept telling me I was losing too much weight. Nessie would always add that Jez would want me to take care of myself while she was away, and if I couldn't do it for me, I should do it for her. But I could never stomach anything.

I was sitting on the porch like I usually do, waiting to see if one of the girls would pop out of the garden for an update. I had been doing this for the past two weeks.

But today, I did not wait in vain.

"Seth!" Rhea called from the gate. I rushed over to her as fast as I could move. Rhea was beaming.

"Oh, Seth! She's going to make it!" Rhea cried out, and threw her arms around me, sobbing with joy. After so long, it didn't seem real.

"You can go in now," she sobbed, stepping away from me. "Go on! Go! But be careful!"

I rushed into the garden. Beside the seeing pond, underneath the willow tree, there was a low, narrow bed with my sleeping Queen. I walked over to her, not daring to breathe, and sank to my knees beside her. She was painfully thin, and covered with thick, black bruises.

But her eyes fluttered open, and they were a dim, glowing green.

"Hey, Jezzie, welcome back," I whispered, unable to speak louder.

"Hey," she whispered back. Her voice was hoarse and crackly. It was the most beautiful sound in the world.

"I was worried about you," I said. That was an understatement.

"I was worried about you, too," she replied. "Why are you so thin?"

"Like I said, I was worried about you."

"When I have enough strength to lift my arm, remind me to punch you."

"Can do, Jezzie."

I couldn't help but smile. With Jez, my life would never be simple or easy. But I guess I'm just too happy to care. Besides, how boring would that be?

"I love you, Jezzie," I said with all my heart.

"I love you, too. But, I'm kind of starving. What do I have to do to get some food at my own house?"

I laughed, the first real laugh in a month. Our stresses and worries were behind us. Well, most of them. And I kissed her with all of the love that was in me.

She gladly kissed me back, and I could feel all of her love, too. She sacrificed herself for me, and for all of our family and friends. It may sound cheesy, but if that's not love, I don't know what is.

No, our lives together wouldn't be easy. But that sounded pretty perfect to me.

* * *

**Soooo, what do you guys think? I'm not certain about that last part, but it's as good as it's going to get. So, let me know what you thought of the whole series and this chapter in particular! We still have some loose ends to tie up with the epilogue, and I think I'm going to add a bonus chapter for the hell of it.**

**Thank you all again for reading, you have no idea what it means to me! (And the epilogue will be posted after five reviews since I only got two from the last chapter, so chop chop!)**


	26. Epilogue

**Well, I got six reviews, which is WAY better than two. They were also lengthy, which made my day. I understand everyone is upset that there was no fight, and that everything ended too quickly, but I knew I didn't want to write a sequel, which meant there could be no survivors from the Volturi or Shadow Circle, which also means that a giant battle would be out of the question (there would be some survivors from the losing side), unless Jez returned to her heartless murdering ways of the past - which I want to stay in the past. So this was the next best thing. Regardless, here is the epilogue! Important info in AN below!**

* * *

Epilogue

10 Years Later

Jez's POV

I was wearing my business suit, the one I usually wore to meet with clients. It was a nice blazer and a pencil skirt with high heels. Simple enough, but it was a pain walking to my front door in those stilettos. I could hear myself thinking about the day I had just had. Stupid investors, trying to control how I ran _my_ company…

"Welcome home, baby!" my loving husband greeted me, ran out the door, jumped down the steps and scooped me into a huge hug. I couldn't help but laugh as Seth swung me around and unconditional love filled my heart until it felt like it would burst. It was like he _knew_ how stressed and pissed off I was. But after nine years of marriage, that was to be expected, I suppose.

"Oh, it's good to be home. I just had the worst day…" I started saying, but my two children appeared in the doorway with wide eyes.

"Momma's home!" they cried, and ran straight for me. They giggled and squealed while I hugged them. Their smiling faces were the balm my anger needed.

"Momma, Daddy started reading us a story today!" Lena told me happily. She was five years old, and looked just like me. She had her daddy's nose and capacity for good, though.

"Yeah, it was amazing, Mom! Beowulf is awesome!" Aidan laughed. He was seven, and getting taller by the day. He definitely took after his father. But there were green flecks in his brown eyes, and his skin was a little lighter than the normal Quileute's.

"Oh, really?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "I think that story is a little… mature for them, don't you think, Seth?"

"Uh-oh… Dad screwed up Lena, let's go inside while they make up," Aidan grinned and dragged his sister inside.

"Good luck, Daddy!" Lena called before they disappeared inside.

I turned to look at Seth. I just looked at him. He visibly squirmed.

"I left out the gory and inappropriate parts," he muttered.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry for getting so mad, but it's been an awful day. That idiot has no clue what it takes to run a business, let alone a landscaping business. I mean, who the hell does he think he is, trying to tell me what's best for my business? I've been running the damn thing for eight years without him, and it's done just _fine_. So what –"

"Jezzie," Seth interrupted me. I fell silent.

"Love you, babe."

I smiled. "Love you, too."

A simple kiss was all it took to drain the remnants of my anger.

And then I realized why this day seemed so familiar. I couldn't help but laugh at the sheer joy of how different my life was. It was all I had hoped it could be.

Seth looked at me quizzically. "What's up, babe?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. So what's for dinner?"

"Ummm… I haven't gotten that far yet. What are you in the mood for?"

I laughed again. If I hadn't allowed Seth into my life, I would have been a globe-trotting, incredibly powerful witch. It would have been an extraordinary life. But the one I had chosen had given me so much more. It was an extraordinary ordinary life, and it was ours.

* * *

**Yes, this is the day Jez saw in her vision so many chapters ago. I really like this ending, so I hope you all like it, too.**

**Anyways, I've been asked many times about the sequel to Love Like Crazy, and I have decided to write it. Updates will be sporadic at best, but I think I have a decent storyline, and I think everyone will like it. However, I am not a big fan of the name I came up with: "Love Like Fire". Tell me, what do you all think, and if you don't like it (or even if you do), what are some alternatives?**

**Thanks for reading guys, and the bonus chapter will be up... eventually!**


	27. Bonus Chapter: Family

**Wow, I am just busting these out now, aren't I? This is the last update from Dark Light, and I'm not going to be making a sequel. This chapter is about how Jez finds her biological family (a chapter about Jez I've been wanting to do for a while). Hope you all enjoy the final chapter, thanks for reading!**

* * *

Jez's POV

In all of my years, I had never felt nervous. I had faced a coven of vicious vampires, a circle of bloodthirsty dark witches, felt the darkest fear, and never blinked. I had almost lost the man who meant the most to me, but I never wavered.

Today, I felt nervous.

The police station wasn't very imposing, just a simple brick building, with regular men and women running it, trying to keep the city of Pismo Beach, California, a little safer.

I gripped the flyer in my hand tighter; it was what had led me here. Seth was waiting for me at the hotel. He had understood that this was a journey I had to make on my own.

I walked into the building. It was bustling with activity, and I couldn't find any source of the chaos. Instead of finding a secretary, I just grabbed the nearest man in uniform.

"Excuse me sir, but do you know where I can find Detective Moore?" I asked politely.

He looked taken aback for a moment, then said, "Sure, his office is over here."

He led me to a small, cluttered office, where a man in his late forties sat behind a desk, working at a dilapidated computer.

"Hey, Peter, this girl asked for you," my guide said, and walked away.

"Thanks," Detective Peter Moore said to the man's retreating figure. "How can I help you?"

My nerves doubled. "Well, this flyer said to contact you about the missing girl."

I handed him the flyer, and his eyebrows rose into his hairline. His attention immediately refocused completely on me. "Do you have information about the case?"

"Um, no. I think… I think she's me," I said shakily. Ugh, how do other people deal with this kind of anxiety?

"What makes you think that?" Moore asked.

"My name is Jezebel, I look just like the girl in this photo, and I'm fairly certain I was kidnapped at the age of five," I said succinctly.

"Why do you think you were kidnapped? Do you have any evidence?"

"No evidence. Just my own memory," I said. Would he believe me? To say I had an unbelievable story would be an understatement.

"What do you remember?" He was interested, at least. But I had a feeling he would give me the benefit of the doubt.

"My father, my mother, my sister, and I were at the beach. An old woman approached me… I don't remember what she said exactly, but she was trying to convince me to go with her while my parents were getting snacks. My older sister tried to get me away, but… the woman grabbed my arm, and dragged me away. I lived with her and her cult until I was twenty."

Moore looked shocked.

"My sister… I think her name was Lizzie. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, but otherwise she looked like me, I think," I added.

"Yeah," Moore said. "Yeah, I think you're Jezebel Greenwood, too."

"Sooo… what now?" I asked.

"Well, that's up to you. If you want to find and press charges against your kidnappers, we'll try to put a case together," Moore said.

There was just one problem with that: my captors were all dead. They had been for months now. It had taken that long for me to fully recover from my injuries, but I came back. With Seth and my coven's help, of course.

"Is it okay if I don't?" I asked.

Moore smiled. "I had a feeling you wouldn't want to. But yeah, I'm actually kind of glad you don't. The evidence in that case would be circumstantial at best, and the testimony of a young woman who barely remembers her family… yeah, thanks for not doing that."

"No problem. But… I would like to meet my family. Do you know where they are right now?" I asked tentatively, hoping against hope that he knew.

Moore smiled another sad smile. "They never left this town. They're only about a fifteen minute drive from here."

I could feel my eyes widen. Was I really that close?

"Come on," Moore said as he groaned out of his chair. "I'll call to see if they're home, and we'll go see them right now."

I left the cramped room before he got on the phone. I texted Seth quickly to let him know what had happened so far – and what was going to happen. He had understood my need to do this alone; I knew he was still supporting me.

"You ready to go?" Moore's voice cut through Seth's ecstatic answering text.

"Let's do it!" I said excitedly.

As we got in his unmarked Crown Victoria, he told me what his short telephone conversation had gleaned. My mother and sister were home; my father was still at work. Moore had told my mother that he was coming over to talk about the case, that there had been a break. Apparently, every year, on the anniversary of my disappearance, my parents would talk to Moore to check in. This was the first time they would get good news.

Moore had been right about the length of the drive. Before I knew it, I was standing before a simple off-white house in a nice suburb. A simple Honda sedan sat in the driveway; clearly, my taste for cars had not come from my mother.

My nerves reached their breaking point when Moore knocked on the door. But my excitement, and my desperate need to know where I had come from, won.

"You've got nothing to worry about. They've been waiting for this day for a long time," Moore said quietly.

I took a deep breath, and let the nerves and anxiety flow from me. Whatever happened here today, I would always have Seth, and my coven. The family I had built for myself.

The door opened, and I was looking at a middle-aged woman with wavy blonde hair and big blue eyes. Her eyes met mine, and tears started to appear.

"D-d-detective…" she stuttered out, looking from Moore to me, and back again.

"Hi, Mom," I said quietly.

My mother's lip quivered, and suddenly she launched herself at me, holding me and crying and howling my name. I held her just as tightly.

Before the storm, I would have been able to hold both of us up, no problem. But my muscles were still a little weak, and we both collapsed to the ground, still holding one another and crying.

"Mom!" a female voice gasped.

We looked up to see a much younger version of my mother standing in the doorway.

"Hi, Lizzie," I greeted her with a huge smile.

Suddenly, Lizzie was squealing and crying and landing on top of us on the ground, in what she probably thought was a group hug. I tried not to cry from sheer joy, but watching Moore knuckle away a tear didn't help.

Eventually, we picked ourselves off the ground and went inside, where my mother called my father to tell him to get his ass home this second. I told them where I had been (for the most part; it had been Nessie's idea to say I had been kidnapped by a Satanic women's cult), and how I had escaped and made a new life for myself, and finally recalled the memory that brought me back to Southern California.

My reunion with my father was quieter than the one with my mother and sister. He simply held me, and let a few silent tears escape. I couldn't help but notice I got my auburn hair and tall, slender frame from him.

"Well, I have some more good news," I said later that day. "I'm engaged. The wedding is in three months in Washington, and I was hoping the three of you could –"

"Of course we'll be there!" Lizzie interrupted happily. "When do we get to meet him?"

"Well, he's technically waiting for me at the hotel. I could –"

"Ohmygod call him and get him here now!" Lizzie demanded. "I didn't just get my sister back, I'm getting a brother-in-law too! Does he have brothers?"

I couldn't help but smile as I dialed Seth's cell number. A tiny vision entered my mind, one where I was introducing my family to my coven… and Collin was staring at my sister with wide eyes and an adoring smile.

"Yeah, Seth has brothers…"

* * *

**I just had to give Collin his happy ending, too. I've tied up all of the loose strings in this story (mostly; Leah and her hawk man are still up in the air, but you all know me well enough to know they get their happy ending), and it's time to start anew. Thank you all for reading and taking this journey with me; you have no idea how much it has meant to me.**

**If you really want to make my day, tell me what you thought of this story in a review, and I'll try to get the first chapter of "Love Like Fire" up as soon as possible! Thanks again!**


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